Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to account for the N11.2 trillion reportedly spent by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited in 2025 to protect the country’s oil and gas assets.

Atiku also demanded the disclosure of contracts, payments and results linked to the expenditure, as well as clarification on whether government contractors associated with the Tinubu administration have provided financial or material support for the president’s 2027 re-election campaign.

The demand followed the publication of NNPC’s 2025 audited financial report, which recorded N11.2 trillion as “other receivables from federation”, relating to advance payments to the federation and costs incurred to secure Nigeria’s oil and gas assets.

NNPC said the expenditure was incurred under an approved framework allowing it to bear the costs of protecting oil and gas assets and subsequently recover the money from the federation as “energy security costs”.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said Nigerians deserved a detailed account of the expenditure.

“Nigerians cannot tell from these totals what was spent on pipeline surveillance. What was paid? Who was paid? For what work? Where are the results?” Atiku asked.

The former vice-president said the government should publish contracts, payments and outcomes associated with the protection of the nation’s oil and gas infrastructure.

Atiku argued that the scale of the expenditure should be examined against the insecurity confronting Nigerians, including attacks on schools, highways and communities.

“A mother should not have to pray her child survives the journey to school while her government cannot plainly explain the billions it spends on security. Tinubu must answer to the people living with these choices,” he said.

He also questioned the relationship between government contractors and Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign, citing Tantita Security Services, which he said holds a pipeline security contract, and its founder’s reported involvement in campaign activities supporting Tinubu.

Atiku further questioned the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway contract awarded to a company linked to the Chagoury family.

He demanded the publication of documents relating to the procurement process, which the government had described as restricted bidding.

“Then show us the invitations. Show us the competing bids. Show us the evaluation. Show us the contract. Why must Nigerians drag every document out of a government spending their money?” he asked.

Atiku demanded that the Tinubu administration disclose what contractors had received from government and whether any of them had provided money, vehicles or other forms of support for the president’s re-election campaign.

He said Nigerians deserved sufficient information to assess how public funds connected to the oil sector were being spent.

“The roads are bad. The economy is bad. There is no light. There is no safety. Families are hungry. Yet Tinubu calls this progress. Nigerians are struggling to buy food, praying for electricity and afraid to travel,” Atiku said.

He added that Nigerians had “had enough of hardship dressed up as reform.”