Atiku raises alarm as unknown person credits his private bank account

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised an alarm over an unexpected payment made into his private bank account, questioning how the sender obtained his confidential banking information.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

According to the statement, the payment came from a person or entity unknown to Atiku and carried the narration, “Contribution Electioneering Campaign.”

“Neither His Excellency nor his campaign solicited, authorised or has any knowledge of the individual or entity behind the unauthorised payment,” the statement read.

Atiku demands answers over bank account breach

Atiku said the transaction was particularly concerning because the affected account is private and its details have not been made publicly available.

“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?” it added.

The former vice president argued that the incident goes beyond the individual transaction and raises questions about the safety of Nigerians’ financial information.

“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,” the statement quoted him as saying.

He also raised the possibility that people with authorised or privileged access could have been involved in obtaining the information.

“Even more disturbing is the suspicion that such confidential information may have been obtained through persons with privileged access,” the statement said.

Former VP warns of security risks

Atiku further stressed that the unauthorised exposure of private banking information could have serious consequences for the affected individual.

“If established, this would amount to a grave abuse of power capable of exposing the account holder to kidnappers, terrorists, bandits, fraudsters and other criminal elements,” the statement added.

The ADC candidate said the matter had been brought to the attention of both the Nigerian public and security authorities.

He linked the incident to what he described as a pattern of suspicious developments occurring as the country moves closer to the 2027 general elections.

“We therefore put the Nigerian public — and the security agencies — on notice about this latest incident in a litany of suspicious activities leading up to next year’s general elections,” he said.

Atiku also accused unnamed actors of resorting to tactics aimed at damaging his reputation as political activities intensify.

“As political activities gather momentum, Nigerians should not be distracted by these tired tactics that smack of character assassination,” the statement read.

“Such desperate antics have failed before and will fail again,” he added.

Despite the development, the former vice president said he remained focused on his political agenda and his stated commitment to addressing the country’s challenges.

“The Waziri Adamawa remains focused on offering Nigerians credible leadership and practical solutions to the nation’s challenges,” the statement said.