APC Fires Back at Atiku, Says Ex-VP ‘Haunted by Ghost of Corruption’, Defends Service-Wide Vote
—
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a blistering attack on former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over his allegation that the 2026 Service-Wide Vote (SWV) was designed to finance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election campaign in 2027.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party described Atiku’s claim as “mischievous, misleading and devoid of facts,” insisting that the former vice president either lacks a proper understanding of public finance or deliberately chose to misinform Nigerians.
Atiku had alleged that funds earmarked under the 2026 Service-Wide Vote would be deployed to support President Tinubu’s second-term bid. However, the APC dismissed the accusation as a baseless attempt to distract Nigerians from what it described as the achievements of the Tinubu administration.
According to the party, the Service-Wide Vote is a long-established budgetary instrument designed to address government-wide obligations and unforeseen expenditures that arise after the passage of the annual budget.
“The Service-Wide Vote is not a secret fund or an illegal slush account as Atiku has recklessly alleged,” the APC stated, noting that similar contingency mechanisms exist in many democratic countries around the world.
The ruling party further accused the former vice president of projecting his past conduct in public office onto the current administration, claiming that “the ghost of his sordid past” was responsible for his allegations.
Morka said Atiku’s political career has been marked by repeated presidential ambitions without presenting a clear development agenda for the country, adding that his latest comments amounted to the spread of “fake news and doomsday narratives.”
The APC maintained that Nigerians can distinguish between what it described as Atiku’s “desperate politics” and the policy-driven approach of President Tinubu’s government.
Defending the administration’s fiscal record, the party highlighted several flagship programmes, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the implementation of the new national minimum wage, the Consumer Credit Scheme, and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative.
The APC also pointed to ongoing investments in infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, social intervention programmes, industrial development and tax reforms as evidence of the administration’s commitment to economic recovery and national development.
Reaffirming its support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the party said the government remains focused on rebuilding the economy, strengthening institutions, expanding public infrastructure and improving the welfare of Nigerians.
The statement comes amid growing political exchanges between the ruling APC and opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.