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Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to publish the procurement details and chassis numbers of 39 Sport Utility Vehicles, SUVs, for which N15.13 billion was reportedly appropriated in the 2026 federal budget.
Mr Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, made the demand in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
The former vice-president said an analysis by public accountability organisation, Tracka, raised questions about the vehicle procurement and called on the federal government to provide full details of the proposed expenditure.
According to him, the N15.13 billion allocation for 39 SUVs translates to approximately N387 million per vehicle.
“Tracka’s analysis shows that N15.13 billion was budgeted for the procurement of 39 SUVs. That translates to an astonishing N387 million per vehicle.
“If those vehicles have already been procured, the government should immediately publish the make, model, year of manufacture, supplier, contract details and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), popularly known as the chassis number, of each of the 39 vehicles.
“If the procurement is still ongoing, Nigerians deserve to know why, nearly eight months into the fiscal year, such an expensive purchase has not been concluded,” he said.
Mr Atiku questioned the type of vehicles that could justify an estimated cost of N387 million each, listing several ultra-luxury SUVs, including the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, Ferrari Purosangue, Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, Aston Martin DBX, Range Rover SV, Brabus G-Class, Cadillac Escalade-V and Lexus LX 700h.
“If none of these ultra-luxury vehicles was purchased, then what exactly justifies such an extraordinary price tag?” he asked.
The former vice-president also questioned the level of scrutiny applied to the budget before it was signed into law, saying President Tinubu could not distance himself from concerns arising from allocations contained in the appropriation document.
“What manner of president signs a budget with figures like these into law without demanding rigorous scrutiny?
“Was the president asleep at the wheel while the budget was being prepared, or did he knowingly approve allocations that now require public explanation? Either possibility should worry every Nigerian.
“A president cannot proudly sign a budget into law and then pretend to have no responsibility when glaring questions arise. The buck stops on his desk,” he said.
Mr Atiku further referred to the Tracka analysis, which he said identified N947.70 billion allocated to 2,579 empowerment projects.
He called on the federal government to disclose the locations of the projects, their beneficiaries, the process used in selecting contractors and the mechanisms for monitoring implementation.
“This is a government that has consistently preached sacrifice to Nigerians — removing fuel subsidy, increasing electricity tariffs, imposing higher taxes and asking citizens to endure unprecedented hardship.
“It cannot, in the same breath, expect Nigerians to remain silent over expenditures that raise legitimate questions about value for money,” he said.
Mr Atiku said the government could address public concerns by publishing all relevant procurement documents relating to the vehicles.
“The easiest way to silence suspicion is transparency. Publish the procurement documents. Publish the invoices. Publish the suppliers. Publish the chassis numbers.
“If the figures are genuine, the documents will speak for themselves. If they are not, Nigerians deserve to know who turned the procurement of 39 SUVs into a N15.13 billion scandal.
“Public money belongs to the Nigerian people. Every kobo must be accounted for,” he said.
