Probe Me Over $16bn Power Spending If You Have Evidence – Atiku Dares FG

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has thrown down the gauntlet to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, demanding that it substantiate allegations linking him to alleged wrongdoing in the controversial $16 billion power sector expenditure or cease what he describes as a campaign of political distraction. In a statement released on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku insisted that he should be investigated and prosecuted if the government possesses credible evidence against him, stressing that political accusations cannot replace proof. The former Vice President accused the Tinubu administration and its supporters of reviving decades-old allegations to divert public attention from pressing questions surrounding the management of government revenues following the removal of petrol subsidy.

Atiku noted that the National Assembly had previously investigated the power projects, but he was never invited to respond to any allegations of misconduct. “The National Assembly investigated the power projects. I was never invited to answer any allegation of wrongdoing,” he stated. He acknowledged that he chaired the National Council on Privatisation while serving as Vice President but clarified that he did not oversee the implementation of the power project. “Yes, I chaired the National Council on Privatisation as Vice President. But on the power project, I disagreed with its concept and did not preside over its implementation. The responsible minister did. The same applies to the Aluminium Smelter matter,” Atiku explained.

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election declared that he had repeatedly made himself available for investigation since leaving office in 2007. “I have repeatedly asked to be investigated. I left office in 2007 and have spent much of the period since then opposing governments in power. If there is evidence that I stole public money, why has no government produced it before a court?” he queried. Atiku challenged the authorities to reopen the matter if they believed there was a genuine case against him. “It is still not too late. Investigate me. Invite me. Produce the evidence. Prosecute me if you have a case. But propaganda cannot substitute for evidence,” he said.

The former Vice President linked the renewed allegations to his persistent criticism of the Federal Government’s handling of the economic consequences of petrol subsidy removal. He argued that Nigerians had been promised that eliminating the subsidy would free funds for development, but citizens had instead faced higher costs of transportation, food, and other essentials. “Today, petrol is more expensive, transportation is more expensive, food is more expensive and the purchasing power of the Nigerian worker has been devastated,” he said. Atiku further questioned how additional government revenues were being deployed, alleging that tax incentives, waivers, credits, and concessions continued to benefit powerful economic interests. “So our question remains brutally simple: where is the people’s money?” he asked. He accused the government of hypocrisy for withdrawing economic relief from ordinary Nigerians while maintaining interventions that benefited major corporate interests. “You cannot take relief away from the poor, celebrate the resulting revenue and then tell the same impoverished citizens that government intervention on their behalf is economically irresponsible while interventions benefiting powerful interests are called incentives. That hypocrisy is precisely what we are challenging,” Atiku stated.

Atiku dismissed what he described as sponsored social media attacks, insisting they would not prevent him from demanding transparency over public finances. “The people who removed subsidy from the poor cannot frighten us into silence by resurrecting allegations that governments with all the investigative machinery of the Nigerian state have had nearly two decades to establish,” he declared. He challenged the government to either substantiate the allegations or address questions over the use of funds generated after subsidy removal. “If you have evidence against Atiku, bring it. If you have a case, prosecute it. But if you have neither, stop manufacturing distractions and answer Nigerians: You removed the subsidy. You collected the savings. Where is the money?” he demanded.

How Filling Station Sold Me Water Instead Of Petrol – Lagos Resident Recounts Ordeal

A Lagos resident, Oluwaseyi Oluwabiyi, has shared her shocking experience of how a filling station allegedly dispensed water into her vehicle’s fuel tank instead of petrol, causing her car to break down just 10 minutes after she left the premises. The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) intervened, held the station responsible, and secured compensation for damages and repairs. Oluwabiyi, who shared her experience in a testimonial video released on Wednesday by the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), said she realised something was wrong when her vehicle stopped about 10 minutes after she left the filling station. According to her, she contacted a mechanic who inspected the vehicle and discovered that there was no petrol in the tank—only water had been dispensed into it. “I bought fuel from a filling station and unfortunately, they fueled my tank with just water. There was no fuel at all in what was put in my tank,” Oluwabiyi said.

Oluwabiyi said she immediately lodged a complaint with LASCOPA the same day, submitting pictures, videos and other evidence relating to the incident. Following her complaint, LASCOPA directed her to obtain an estimate of the cost of repairing the vehicle, after which the agency invited both parties for a mediation session. According to her, the filling station was held responsible for the incident and was made to bear the cost of repairing her vehicle as well as additional damages. “They were made to pay the cost of me fixing my car and extra damages. This was all thanks to LASCOPA. My car was fixed. It was reinstated to the position it would have been before the incident,” she said.

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Oluwabiyi described LASCOPA as one of the “hidden gems” provided by the Lagos State Government to protect consumers and resolve disputes outside the conventional court system. She noted that the agency’s intervention demonstrated the importance of alternative dispute resolution in resolving consumer complaints promptly while helping to reduce the burden on the courts. “If you have any disputes, I strongly recommend, or you have any complaints, I strongly recommend that you report it to the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, which will ensure that the issues are dealt with and resolved promptly,” she said. She expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government and LASCOPA for the initiative, urging residents to make use of the agency whenever they encounter consumer-related disputes.

The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency has been actively expanding its reach across the state. In June 2026, LASCOPA commenced operations at annex offices in Ikorodu, Badagry, Bariga, Ikoyi-Obalende, Ojo, Epe, Agege, and Isolo to improve residents’ access to consumer protection services. The agency’s General Manager, Afolabi Solebo, noted that the decentralisation aims to enhance service delivery and facilitate prompt resolution of consumer disputes. LASCOPA handles complaints across various sectors, including electricity distribution, automobile services, food and beverages, healthcare, banking, telecommunications, and oil and gas services. The agency has recovered millions of naira in refunds from service providers, including over N156.2 million from Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company and more than N30.1 million from Eko Electricity Distribution Company.

This is not an isolated incident. In Ebonyi State, the government sealed the Shafa Oil and Gas Station after its tank developed a fault, allowing water to flow into the underground petrol tank. A video surfaced showing a driver complaining that petrol purchased from the station was watery, resulting in the vehicle stopping a few metres from the station. Similarly, in Abuja, customers at the Azman Oil and Gas Ltd filling station in Wuse Zone 5 reported that their vehicles broke down after they were dispensed water instead of fuel. Motorists who had queued to buy fuel were left distraught, with some accusing the station’s attendants of delivering water into their tanks. A staff member explained that the fault might have been with their supplier.

Experts suggest that water contamination can occur when rain seeps into underground fuel storage tanks if not properly sealed, or when fuel suppliers use water to test for leaks in tankers, and mistakes occur during delivery. Consumers are advised to be vigilant and report any suspicious fuel purchases immediately. The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency advises consumers experiencing unfair trade practices to lodge complaints through its official channels, including a toll-free line: 08000052726.