The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to publish the chassis numbers, suppliers and contract details of 39 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for which ₦15.13 billion was allocated in the 2026 Federal Budget, or admit that Nigerians had been defrauded.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said an analysis by public accountability organisation Tracka, which estimated the cost at about ₦387 million per vehicle, had raised questions the Tinubu administration must answer.
According to him, if the vehicles have already been procured, the government should immediately disclose the make, model, year of manufacture, supplier, contract details and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of each of the 39 SUVs.
“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,” he said.
Atiku listed several ultra-luxury vehicles, including Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, Ferrari Purosangue, Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, Aston Martin DBX, Range Rover SV, Brabus G-Class, Cadillac Escalade V and Lexus LX 700h, saying Nigerians were entitled to know whether any of them justified the reported price.
“If none of these ultra-luxury vehicles was purchased, then what exactly justifies such an extraordinary price tag?
“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.
Citing the same Tracka analysis, Atiku also questioned the ₦947.70 billion earmarked for 2,579 empowerment projects, insisting that Nigerians deserved to know the locations of the projects, the identities of beneficiaries, the contractors involved and how implementation would be monitored.
He linked the demand for greater transparency to the economic sacrifices Nigerians have been asked to make under the current administration.
“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.
