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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to explain the procurement and ownership details surrounding projects reportedly worth about $20bn and linked to his long-time associate, Gilbert Chagoury.

Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, made the demand in a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

He said the issues reportedly raised by The Economist had taken questions surrounding the Federal Government’s procurement practices beyond domestic political criticism and placed them under international scrutiny.

Atiku said the estimated value of the projects, which he put at about N27tn, was too substantial for the Presidency to dismiss without providing detailed explanations.

He asked the government to disclose how the contracts were awarded, whether they went through competitive bidding, the identities of their ultimate beneficiaries and any tax concessions, waivers or other incentives granted in connection with them.

According to him, the repeated appearance of businesses allegedly associated with a presidential associate in major government projects requires clarification from the administration.

“The questions are simple: Who awarded these contracts? Were they competitively tendered? What tax concessions, waivers or privileges were granted? Who are the ultimate beneficial owners?” Atiku asked.

He also criticised the Presidency’s handling of allegations of corruption and alleged favouritism, saying responding to critics through verbal attacks would not resolve questions raised by an international publication.

Atiku said The Economist was not an opposition political party and had no electoral interest in Nigeria’s 2027 elections, urging Tinubu to address the substance of the issues reportedly raised by the publication.

“The Economist is not an opposition party. It is not on the ballot in 2027. The President should answer the questions it has raised,” he said.

The former Vice President further linked the controversy to the economic difficulties facing Nigerians, arguing that citizens were being asked to endure higher taxes and rising living costs while questions remained over projects allegedly connected to a close associate of the President.

He said the government’s reform agenda could lose public confidence if transparency was not demonstrated in the handling of large public contracts.

“You cannot preach sacrifice to hungry Nigerians while questions hang over ₦27 trillion worth of projects linked to your friend. That is not reform. It is an assault on public trust,” Atiku stated.

He therefore urged the Presidency to make public the procurement records, ownership structures, tax arrangements and other relevant information concerning the projects cited in the report.

Atiku said full disclosure would help address concerns about transparency, accountability and possible conflicts of interest in the award and execution of major government projects.

“Nigeria is a republic, not a friends-and-family investment portfolio. ₦27 trillion demands answers. President Tinubu must provide them,” he added.

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Identical twin brothers, Hussaini and Hassan Malami, are among the successful recruits of the NNPC Tigers Class of 2026, after both secured positions at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation despite initially having different views about joining the company.

The brothers’ recruitment has also challenged a common misconception that NNPC does not employ more than one person from the same family.

Hussaini had always wanted to work at NNPC and immediately applied when recruitment opened. He also encouraged Hassan to submit an application.

Hassan, however, was initially reluctant because he believed NNPC only hired one person per family and did not want to interfere with his brother’s ambition.

His own career aspiration was to join the Nigerian Air Force and serve the country. He already worked in the banking sector and had not considered a corporate career.

His doubts were also influenced by the experience of three older siblings — a lawyer, an engineer and a business administrator — who had previously applied to NNPC without success.

Hassan eventually applied close to the deadline following repeated encouragement from his twin.

The brothers sat for the computer-based test on the same day but in different locations, with Hussaini taking his test in Sokoto and Hassan in Kaduna.

After going through the recruitment process, including interviews, both brothers received employment letters on the same day.

“I opened the email after midnight and wanted to wake everybody up to tell them,” Hussaini laughed.

Hassan discovered the news after seeing it on the family WhatsApp group when he woke up.

He said Hussaini’s success made him nervous about his own chances.

“I was now nervous about the possibility of not being successful once Hussaini shared his news.”

Both brothers eventually secured positions at NNPC.

Hussaini now works with NNPC Exploration & Production Limited (NNPC E&P Limited), while Hassan is with NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC).

For Hassan, his new position has provided an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Nigeria’s gas industry.

“I didn’t know there was a whole business dedicated to transporting gas,” Hassan said. “Now I’ve seen how gas powers plants and manufacturing companies…Hearing that gas is the future is one thing. Seeing how it is happening is another.”

Although Hassan had initially been uninterested in a corporate career, he now considers his work at NNPC another way of serving Nigeria.

He still hopes to explore military service before reaching the age limit in 2030.

Hussaini, meanwhile, said his experience has strengthened his long-standing ambition to contribute to society. He also hopes to return to his university as a guest lecturer and share his professional experience with students.

“When I was in university, I only had one lecturer with field experience,” he said. “I want to share practical experience with students someday.”

Asked which NNPC culture transformation pillar best reflects his mindset, Hussaini selected Enterprise First.

He explained his choice by saying that “giving your best to the company is giving your best to the country.”

Hassan identified with Execution Excellence, drawing from his background as a civil engineer.

“I’m a civil engineer…I like seeing things come to life from concept to completion.”

The twins also urged young Nigerians interested in joining NNPC not to be discouraged by rumours about the recruitment process.

“Ignore the rumours. You don’t need to know anybody at NNPC. Apply. Take the test and earn your place.”

Their story demonstrates that being from the same family does not prevent multiple candidates from securing opportunities at NNPC, provided they meet the requirements and successfully navigate the recruitment process.

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Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Monday said the appointment of 4,000 Special Assistants was not an issue, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to taking governance to the grassroots.

The governor stated this on Monday during a meeting with APC members from across the 18 local government areas of the state at the Government House, Benin City.

The governor also noted that his administration was committed to strengthening the All Progressives Congress in the state, noting that the victory of the APC was a collective achievement.

In a statement by his media aide, Patrick Ebojele, Okpebholo expressed appreciation to party members for their support and emphasised the importance of unity within the APC.

He stressed that development and opportunities would continue to flow from the state level down to the wards.

“I want to say good morning to everybody and tell you that I love you all. I want to let you know that the party is our party. We don’t have any other party than APC.

“Appointing 4,000 SAs is not an issue at all because we all work for this victory. The victory does not belong to Okpebholo alone and I thank party members for their support.

“So we are taking the governance to the grassroots, so that whatever is from the top, will also go down to the bottom,” Okpebholo added.

Earlier, the APC state chairman, Jarret Tenebe, commended the governor for what he described as efforts to reposition and strengthen the party since assuming office.

Tenebe said the APC had become more active and stable under Okpebholo’s administration, adding that the governor had created opportunities for party members to participate in governance and benefit from the dividends of democracy at the grassroots.

According to him, the administration had also made provisions for the party to operate more effectively, including plans for the party to have a vehicle for its activities.

He said several APC faithful had been considered for appointments as Special Assistants, attributing the development to the governor’s understanding of both politics and governance.

Tenebe also claimed that the Okpebholo administration made history by stabilising the party to support APC candidates in the local government elections, including councillors and council chairmen, without requiring them to personally finance their campaigns.

He further stated that the APC recorded a total of 2,158,600 votes across Edo State, covering Edo North, Edo Central and Edo South, describing the figure as evidence of the party’s growing strength and grassroots presence.

The APC chairman said the governor had also approved the appointment of 25 Special Assistants in each of the 192 wards across the state.

He explained that the meeting with ward chairmen and other party members was convened to communicate the criteria and guidelines for selecting beneficiaries of the appointments.

“In his magnanimity, the governor has decided to appoint 25 SAs in each of the wards in 192 wards across the state. And that is the reason why we decided to invite ward chairmen and members to this meeting so we can tell you the criteria to select these people that will benefit from this appointment,” Tenebe said.

He disclosed that the APC State Working Committee had constituted a committee to interface with the various wards and ensure that the stipulated guidelines were followed in the selection process.

He added that the committee would also ensure that the names of qualified nominees were properly compiled and communicated to the party headquarters in Benin City.

The meeting is expected to further deepen coordination between the APC leadership, the state government and the party structure at the ward and local government levels as the administration continues its grassroots mobilisation and governance agenda.

The meeting was attended by members of the APC State Working Committee, the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa; State Chairman of the party, Jarret Tenebe; the Chief of Staff to the Governor; as well as ward and local government representatives.