Atiku demands Tinubu explain Chagoury projects

Former Nigerian Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria — African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has publicly demanded that President Bola Tinubu respond to questions reportedly raised by The Economist about approximately $20 billion (about 27 trillion naira) worth of government projects linked to Gilbert Chagoury, a longtime associate of the President. Atiku, through his aide Phrank Shaibu, argued that the reported revelations have escalated concerns about procurement practices from domestic suspicion to an international credibility crisis. He called on the Presidency to publish procurement details, ownership structures, and tax concessions related to the projects, and to answer specific questions about contract awards, competitive tendering, and beneficial ownership. Atiku emphasized that The Economist is not an opposition party and that the President should address the substance of the allegations rather than dismiss critics. The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of government procurement and major infrastructure projects under the Tinubu administration, as well as ahead of the 2027 general election.