By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2027 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has interrogated the N6.44 billion allocation for a “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers,” in the budget, after Nigeria did not qualify for the World Cup.
Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication, in a statement indicated that the former vice president declared that the allocation is disturbing and typical of fiscal irresponsibility.
Atiku, therefore, called for independent investigation into the World Cup budgetary allocation after Nigeria had been ousted from qualifying for the tournament.
Nigeria was eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification by Dr Congo in November 2025, and the 2026 Appropriation Bill was presented to the National Assembly in December 2025, about one month later, Atiku observed.
“How does a serious government budget N6.44 billion for presidential support for World Cup qualifiers after the country had already been eliminated? What competition was the money intended to support? Who inserted the provision, who approved it, and who was expected to benefit from an expenditure whose stated purpose had already ceased to exist?” Atiku protested.
Atiku further declared, “The scandal is not merely that one man allegedly impersonated public authority. The greater scandal is that the Tinubu administration allegedly opened the doors of the Nigerian state to him, allowed him to acquire the appearance and privileges of official legitimacy, and permitted him to interact with institutions and diplomatic interests in the name of the Federal Government.”
He insisted on independent investigation into both the N6.44 billion World Cup budget allocation and the operations of the PFIPC.
