Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to disclose full details of the 39 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for which ₦15.13 billion was appropriated in the 2026 Federal Budget, insisting that Nigerians deserve transparency rather than secrecy over the expenditure.
The demand was contained in a press statement issued on Thursday, July 30, 2026, by Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, who signed the statement on behalf of the former Vice President.
According to Atiku, an analysis by public accountability organisation, Tracka, had raised questions that could only be resolved through full public disclosure of the procurement process.
“Tracka’s analysis shows that ₦15.13 billion was budgeted for the procurement of 39 SUVs. That translates to an astonishing ₦387 million per vehicle,” he said.
He challenged the Federal Government to immediately release the details of the vehicles if they had already been procured.
“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,” Atiku stated.
The former Vice President argued that the reported cost of ₦387 million per SUV entitled Nigerians to seek explanations about the type of vehicles acquired with public funds.
He asked whether the government had purchased “Rolls-Royce Cullinans, Bentley Bentaygas, Lamborghini Urus, Ferrari Purosangues, Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600s, Aston Martin DBXs, Range Rover SVs, Brabus G-Class SUVs, Cadillac Escalade Vs or Lexus LX 700hs.”
“If none of these ultra-luxury vehicles was purchased, then what exactly justifies such an extraordinary price tag?” he queried.
Atiku further questioned the President’s role in approving the budget, saying the controversy touched on broader issues of governance and accountability.
“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.
The former Vice President also referenced Tracka’s findings on empowerment projects captured in the budget, noting that the analysis identified ₦947.70 billion allocated to 2,579 empowerment projects.
He said Nigerians deserved to know where the projects would be executed, who the beneficiaries were, how contractors were selected and the mechanisms put in place to monitor implementation.
Atiku accused the government of demanding sacrifices from citizens while failing to provide sufficient accountability for public spending.
“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.
He maintained that transparency remained the easiest way for the government to clear public doubts.
“The easiest way to silence suspicion is transparency. Publish the procurement documents. Publish the invoices. Publish the suppliers. Publish the chassis numbers.
