The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed allegations by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, that the 2026 Service-Wide Vote was designed to finance President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign, describing the claim as baseless, mischievous and misleading.
In a statement posted on Wednesday by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga on his X account, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, accused the former vice president of making unfounded allegations without presenting any evidence to support his claims.
Morka said Atiku’s assertion demonstrated either a misunderstanding of public finance or a deliberate attempt to mislead Nigerians, insisting that the Service-Wide Vote is a long-established budgetary mechanism used to fund government-wide obligations and unforeseen expenditures after the passage of the annual budget.
According to the APC spokesman, the Service-Wide Vote is neither a secret fund nor an illegal account, but a recognised fiscal instrument used in many democracies across the world.
“You would think that a former Vice President, a man with the longest-standing ambition to be president of Nigeria, would understand the concept and instrument of a Service-Wide Vote, an elementary principle of public finance,” Morka said.
The ruling party also accused Atiku of attempting to project onto the current administration what it described as the failures and controversies associated with his years in public office.
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“The ghost of his sordid past haunts Atiku,” Morka stated, arguing that the former vice president lacked the moral authority to question the Tinubu administration on issues of fiscal responsibility and transparency.
The APC further criticised Atiku for allegedly failing to articulate a clear development agenda for Nigeria despite repeatedly contesting the presidency, accusing him instead of promoting what it described as false narratives intended to distract from the achievements of the current administration.
Defending President Tinubu’s economic policies, the party highlighted several flagship programmes, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the implementation of the new national minimum wage, the Consumer Credit Scheme, the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative, food support programmes for vulnerable households, infrastructure development, healthcare investments, agricultural reforms and ongoing tax reforms.
According to the APC, these initiatives demonstrate the administration’s commitment to prudent management of public resources and the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The party maintained that the Tinubu administration remains focused on rebuilding the economy, strengthening institutions, expanding infrastructure and improving the living conditions of Nigerians, rather than engaging in political distractions.
The statement comes amid criticism by Atiku, who had alleged that the Service-Wide Vote contained in the 2026 budget was intended to fund President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.