The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected allegations by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that the 2026 Service-Wide Vote (SWV) was designed to finance President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign, describing the claim as false and unsupported by evidence.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party said Atiku failed to provide any facts to substantiate what it described as a sensational allegation intended to mislead Nigerians and distract attention from the Tinubu administration’s record.
The APC said Atiku’s allegation reflected what it described as the “ghost of his sordid past,” arguing that the former vice president was attempting to project onto the Tinubu administration issues rooted in his own political history.
According to the party, the Service-Wide Vote is a longstanding budgetary provision used to fund government-wide obligations, statutory commitments and contingency expenditures that may arise during budget implementation. It argued that the mechanism is a recognised feature of Nigeria’s public finance framework and that similar budgetary arrangements exist in many democracies to cater for unforeseen government expenditures.
The ruling party maintained that the SWV is neither a secret fund nor an illegal slush account, contrary to Atiku’s claim.
The APC also accused the former vice president of making repeated allegations against the Tinubu administration without presenting evidence, arguing that he had failed to articulate a credible alternative vision for Nigeria’s development.
“It is ironic that a former Vice President would seek to portray a constitutionally recognised budgetary instrument as an illicit campaign fund without presenting any evidence,” the statement said.
Defending the administration’s fiscal record, the APC said President Tinubu’s government should be judged by its ongoing reforms and flagship programmes rather than what it described as unfounded political allegations. It highlighted initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the implementation of the new national minimum wage, the Consumer Credit Scheme, and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative.
The party also cited increased investments in infrastructure, healthcare and agriculture, efforts to expand Nigeria’s industrial base, and ongoing tax reforms aimed at simplifying the tax system, stimulating economic growth and easing the burden on low-income Nigerians.
According to the APC, the Tinubu administration remains committed to implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda through economic reforms, institutional strengthening, infrastructure development and policies designed to improve the welfare of Nigerians.
The statement followed recent comments by Atiku alleging that the Service-Wide Vote contained in the 2026 Appropriation Act could be used to finance President Tinubu’s re-election campaign in 2027. The APC insisted the allegation was unfounded and maintained that the budgetary provision is a legitimate public finance instrument subject to existing legal and fiscal oversight.
The latest exchange marks another round of political sparring between the ruling APC and the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections, with both sides increasingly contesting the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, fiscal decisions and governance record.
