Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over an unauthorised deposit made into one of his private bank accounts by an unknown individual.
The former vice president said the transaction, which was described in the payment narration as a “Contribution Electioneering Campaign”, was neither requested nor approved by him or his campaign organisation.
Atiku disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, who described the circumstances surrounding the transfer as “deeply troubling”.
According to the statement, the bank account involved is a strictly private account whose details are not publicly available.
“The transfer originated from a person completely unknown to His Excellency,” the statement said.
“Neither His Excellency nor his campaign solicited, authorised, or has any knowledge of the individual or entity responsible for the unauthorised payment.”
Atiku questioned how an unknown person could have obtained the details of his private account, describing the development as a serious issue that extends beyond his personal circumstances.
“The account is a strictly private one whose details are not in the public domain. This raises a fundamental question: How did unknown persons obtain the confidential banking details of a private citizen?” he asked.
The ADC presidential candidate warned that the incident raises broader concerns about the protection of financial information in Nigeria, particularly for public figures and ordinary citizens alike.
“If the private banking information of a former Vice President and a leading presidential candidate can be accessed and deployed for reasons yet unknown, then no Nigerian’s financial privacy is safe,” he said.
Atiku further expressed concern that the account details may have been accessed by individuals with privileged or unauthorised access to confidential financial information.
According to the statement, if such access were established, it would amount to “a grave abuse of power” capable of exposing the account holder to security threats, including kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, fraud, and other criminal activities.
The former vice president described the incident as part of a pattern of what he termed “suspicious activities” occurring as political preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.
He suggested that the transfer may have been intended to create a false impression or generate controversy around his political activities, but insisted that he would not be distracted by such actions.
“As political activities gather momentum, Nigerians should not be distracted by these tired tactics that smack of character assassination,” Atiku said.
“Such desperate antics have failed before and will fail again.”
The former vice president reiterated that he remains focused on his presidential ambition and on presenting what he described as credible leadership and practical solutions to Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges.
“The Waziri Adamawa remains focused on offering Nigerians credible leadership and practical solutions to the nation’s challenges,” he added.
Atiku did not disclose the amount transferred into the account, nor did the statement indicate whether the matter had been formally reported to law enforcement or financial regulatory authorities.
The development has drawn public attention because it touches on issues of financial privacy, data protection, and the security of personal banking information, particularly for individuals holding or seeking public office.
Neither the bank involved nor any government agency had issued an official statement on the matter as of the time of filing this report.
