By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has demanded that President Bola Tinubu explains the disturbing questions reportedly raised by The Economist over about $20 billion worth of projects linked to his long-time associate, Gilbert Chagoury.
Atiku in a statement on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the reported revelations have elevated concerns about the Tinubu administration’s procurement practices from domestic suspicion to an international credibility crisis.
“At prevailing exchange rates, $20 billion is approximately ₦27 trillion. Nigerians deserve to know how projects of such staggering value became concentrated around businesses linked to one man who happens to be a close associate of the President.
“This is not pocket change. This is an amount approaching the scale of entire national budgets. Nigerians cannot be asked to tighten their belts while those around the President appear to be tightening their grip on some of the biggest contracts in the country,” Atiku said.
