Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Federal Government to explain what he described as the omission of public expenditure equivalent to two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from recent budgets, following a reported observation by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the IMF’s disclosure, coming amid the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability in public finance management.

According to him, Section 80 of the 1999 Constitution requires that withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund must be authorised by the National Assembly through the appropriation process.

“If, as the IMF has revealed, expenditure amounting to two per cent of Nigeria’s GDP was omitted from the budget process, then Nigerians are entitled to one simple question: Who authorised the spending?” he said.

Describing the reported omission as more than an accounting issue, Atiku argued that any expenditure outside the budgetary process raises constitutional, legal and ethical questions.

He further linked the IMF’s reported findings to the ongoing controversy surrounding the PFIPC, saying both developments point to what he described as a broader pattern of weak institutional accountability.

“The discovery that a fictitious agency reportedly found its way into official government processes and budgetary allocations should concern every Nigerian. When viewed alongside reports of unbudgeted expenditure, these developments raise fundamental questions about public financial management,” he stated.

The former vice president also questioned reports that the PFIPC allegedly received budgetary allocations while, according to him, key sectors such as healthcare suffered inadequate releases despite approved appropriations.

He called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, to clarify how the agency allegedly obtained official recognition and interacted with government institutions.

Atiku also referenced allegations made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who reportedly claimed that the controversy surrounding the agency escalated after he refused a demand for a 48 per cent kickback from the Office of the Chief of Staff on a proposed N27.3 billion take-off grant.

He described the allegations as serious and urged the government to institute an independent and transparent investigation to establish the facts.

“If the allegations are false, let the government prove them through an open investigation. If they are true, then every official connected with the matter, regardless of status, should be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he said.

The former vice president lamented the economic hardship facing Nigerians, including the impact of subsidy removal, rising inflation, increasing electricity tariffs and higher taxation, arguing that citizens deserve greater transparency over the management of public funds.

He maintained that the issue transcends partisan politics and touches on constitutional governance, fiscal responsibility and public trust in government institutions.

Atiku called on the National Assembly, the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Public Accounts Committees, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the reported discrepancies and ensure accountability.

“The books must be opened. Every expenditure should be accounted for, and any official found culpable should be held responsible in accordance with the law,” he said.