Atiku To Tinubu: You Want To Defraud Nigerians Of ₦1.08tn Through Enugu Cooperative College

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the allocation of ₦1.08 trillion to the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, Enugu State, in the 2026 Appropriation Act, describing it as a scheme to defraud Nigerians.

Atiku's reaction followed an independent budget analysis by civic organisation, Tracka, which revealed that the college was allocated ₦1.08 trillion to execute 2,791 capital projects spread across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President said the revelation exposed what he described as one of the most disturbing examples of budget manipulation under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He commended Tracka for what he called a thorough analysis, arguing that the findings contradict the Federal Government's repeated claims that its economic reforms, tax measures and borrowing are aimed at ensuring prudent management of public resources.

According to Atiku, nothing illustrates the weakness of those claims more than assigning a federal cooperative college responsibilities that ordinarily belong to major government ministries and agencies.

He questioned how an institution established primarily to promote cooperative education could suddenly become responsible for implementing thousands of projects nationwide, including roads, drainage systems, solar streetlights, markets, football pitches, dialysis centres, ambulances, water schemes, recycling plants and empowerment programmes.

"Who decided that a cooperative college should become one of Nigeria's biggest ministries by stealth? Under what law was it transformed into the implementing agency for 2,791 projects? Who nominated these projects, who approved them, who will supervise them, and who will be held accountable?" Atiku asked.

The former Vice President maintained that the development casts serious doubt on the administration's commitment to transparency and fiscal discipline.

He accused the government of operating what he described as a "medieval financial system," insisting that public funds belong to Nigerians and must be managed in accordance with constitutional and accountability principles.

Atiku further argued that an administration asking citizens to endure economic hardship while routing over ₦1 trillion through an institution without the statutory mandate or capacity to execute such projects cannot credibly claim to be promoting prudent financial management.

"A government that plans to spend ₦1.08 trillion through a cooperative college cannot claim to be fighting waste or promoting fiscal discipline. It looks less like governance and more like a blueprint to defraud Nigerians," he said.