The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday has dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s allegation that the 2026 Service-Wide Vote (SWV) was designed to finance President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign, saying the claim as baseless and accusing the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate of misrepresenting a long-established public finance mechanism.
The ruling party’s response marks the latest exchange in an increasingly heated political debate over the Federal Government’s 2026 budget, with both camps now using fiscal policy as a battleground ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement issued in Abuja, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, rejected Atiku’s allegation and maintained that the Service-Wide Vote is a recognised budgetary provision created to accommodate government-wide obligations and unforeseen expenditure after the passage of the annual budget.
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Morka argued that the opposition figure failed to provide evidence to support his allegation and that the accusation was speculative.
He said, “Beyond the headline allegation, Atiku did not advance any facts to verify his sensational claim, which is based purely on conjecture and calculated to inflame, mislead, and distract Nigerians from the visible and steady progress recorded under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.”
The APC’s reaction came after Atiku’s criticism of the Service-Wide Vote which he claimed could be deployed to bankroll President Tinubu’s anticipated re-election bid in 2027. Although Atiku’s statement sparked public debate over transparency in government spending, the ruling party insisted the opposition had deliberately distorted the purpose of the budgetary provision.
Seeking to explain the issue, the APC stated that the Service-Wide Vote is neither a secret fund nor an off-budget account but a conventional fiscal instrument found in several democratic systems to finance statutory obligations and emergency government commitments that cannot be fully anticipated during budget preparation.
The party further turned its response into a broader political attack on the former vice president. It accused him of lacking the moral standing to question the Federal Government’s fiscal management.
Morka declared, “A Service-Wide Vote is not a secret fund or an illegal slush account, as Atiku has baselessly and recklessly alleged.”
He also criticised Atiku’s record in public office where he noted that his repeated presidential ambitions had not been accompanied by a coherent development agenda.
Morka added, “As a serial presidential contestant, Atiku has never once articulated a clear vision or coherent plan for Nigeria’s development but has remained a petty peddler of fake news and doomsday narratives.”
The latest exchange reflects the intensifying political tension over Federal spending as parties begin positioning themselves for the next electoral cycle.
In defending the Tinubu administration’s management of public resources, the APC pointed to programmes including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the implementation of the new national minimum wage, the Consumer Credit Scheme (CCS), the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative, infrastructure projects, healthcare investment, agricultural support, and ongoing tax reforms.
The party maintained that the administration remained focused on implementing its Renewed Hope Agenda rather than electioneering. It maintained that government expenditure would continue to be guided by existing budgetary and accountability frameworks.
Wednesday’s statement is the strongest response yet from the ruling party since Atiku questioned the size and purpose of the Service-Wide Vote in the 2026 budget, a controversy that has added fresh political significance to what has traditionally been regarded as a routine budgetary provision.
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