Atiku queries N6.44bn 2026 World Cup budget after Nigeria's exit

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised alarm over a N6.44 billion allocation in the 2026 budget for a 'Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers', pointing out that Nigeria had already failed to qualify for the tournament when the budget was presented. Speaking through his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned what competition the funds were meant to support, who inserted the provision, who approved it, and who would benefit from an expenditure whose stated purpose no longer exists. He described the allocation as a damning indictment of the budgeting process, suggesting the national budget has become a warehouse for dubious expenditures and fiscal waste.

The claim ties into the ongoing PFIPC scandal, where a fake agency called the 'Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council' was allocated N1.3 billion in the same budget; its director general, Adeniyi Adeyemi, was arrested by police on Tuesday. Atiku argued that the Tinubu administration effectively opened the doors of the Nigerian state to Adeyemi, granting him the appearance of official legitimacy.

He called for an independent investigation into both the World Cup allocation and the PFIPC affair.

For citizens, the episode raises pressing questions about budget transparency and accountability: Will the National Assembly probe these allocations? How can taxpayers ensure public funds are not diverted to phantom projects?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/07/15/atiku-raises-alarm-over-n6-44bn-2026-world-cup-budget-allocation/