‘Was The President Asleep?’ Atiku Questions ₦15.13 Billion For 39 SUVs By Tinubu Govt
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the federal government to disclose details of the 39 Sport Utility Vehicles for which ₦15.13bn was appropriated in the 2026 budget, saying Nigerians deserve transparency over the expenditure.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said an analysis by public accountability organisation, Tracka, had raised questions that could only be addressed through full disclosure by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, Tracka’s analysis indicated that ₦15.13bn was earmarked for the procurement of 39 SUVs, translating to about ₦387 million per vehicle.
He said, “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.
“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.”
Naijaonpoint reports that the former Vice President questioned what type of vehicles could justify such a cost, listing 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 and Lexus LX 700hs.
“If none of these ultra-luxury vehicles was purchased, then what exactly justifies such an extraordinary price tag?” he asked.
Atiku also faulted President Tinubu over the approval of the budget, saying the controversy raised broader concerns about accountability in government.
He said, “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 further referenced the same Tracka analysis, which reportedly identified ₦947.70bn allocated to 2,579 empowerment projects, and called on the government to disclose the locations of the projects, their beneficiaries, the contractors handling them and the monitoring framework for their implementation.
Atiku argued that the government could not continue to demand sacrifices from Nigerians while failing to provide full 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.
“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 ₦15.13 billion scandal.
“Public money belongs to the Nigerian people. Every kobo must be accounted for,” he said.
