The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed allegations by the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that the 2026 budgetary Service-Wide Vote (SWV) was set aside to fund President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign, describing the claim as baseless and reflective of a poor understanding of public finance.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, said Atiku, presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the last election, did not provide any evidence to support his allegation, which the party said was “purely conjecture” intended to mislead Nigerians and distract from the administration’s achievements.
Morka explained that a Service-Wide Vote is a standard budgetary mechanism used to cater for government-wide obligations and unforeseen expenditures that arise after a budget is passed, adding that similar contingency arrangements exist in other major economies.
He said the mechanism is neither a secret fund nor an illegal slush account, contrary to Atiku’s characterisation.
The APC Spokesman further criticised Atiku’s record in government, describing his public service history as marked by episodes of corruption and profligacy, and accused him of failing to articulate a coherent development vision across his multiple presidential bids.
Morka listed several achievements he said demonstrated the Tinubu administration’s fiscal responsibility, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said has supported nearly two million students; the new national minimum wage; the consumer credit scheme; the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)Initiative; Palliatives for Vulnerable Households; and ongoing investment in infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, and tax reform.
He said the APC and the Tinubu administration remain committed to the Renewed Hope Agenda, including rebuilding the economy, deepening institutional reforms, and improving living conditions for Nigerians.
