Atiku Raises the Alarm over N6.44bn World Cup Budget Mystery, Seeks Neutral Probe

Atiku Raises the Alarm over N6.44bn World Cup Budget Mystery, Seeks Neutral Probe

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has raised the alarm over an alleged allocation of N6.44 billion for the 2026 World Cup, which Nigeria did not qualify for and was not participating in.

Atiku also said there was a sinister plot by the President Bola Tinubu administration to manipulate the narrative surrounding the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal, shield government officials from scrutiny, and redirect blame towards the political opposition.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, “Atiku specifically drew attention to the allocation of N6.44 billion for a ‘Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers’, despite Nigeria having already been eliminated from the qualification process in November 2025—about one month before the 2026 budget was presented to and considered by the National Assembly.”