Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to explain how N11.2tn linked to the protection of Nigeria’s oil and gas assets was spent under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Atiku made the demand while questioning the disclosure in NNPC’s 2025 audited financial statements, which listed N11.2tn as “other receivables from the federation.”
According to the former vice president, the amount was connected to advance payments and expenses incurred by NNPC in securing the country’s oil and gas infrastructure.
He urged the Federal Government to make public the details of the expenditure, including the contracts awarded, companies and individuals paid, services delivered and the results achieved.
Atiku said Nigerians deserved to know how such a huge amount was spent, particularly given the government’s repeated claims that oil production and energy security remain national priorities.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the country’s pipeline surveillance arrangements and the role of private security contractors involved in protecting oil infrastructure.
The former vice president specifically raised questions about the contracts awarded for pipeline surveillance and whether the expenditure had produced measurable improvements in crude oil production and reduced attacks on oil facilities.
Atiku further called for greater transparency around government contracts, including procurement and evaluation documents, arguing that Nigerians should be able to assess whether public funds were awarded through competitive and transparent processes.
He also questioned whether some contractors benefiting from government projects had political links or contributed to political activities, including the 2027 election campaign.
Atiku said the issues surrounding the N11.2tn expenditure were part of broader concerns about accountability, public spending and the management of Nigeria’s oil resources.
He therefore urged President Tinubu to provide clear explanations and make relevant documents available to the public, stressing that the scale of the expenditure required proper scrutiny.
