Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president and presidential candidate, has challenged President Bola Tinubu regarding the ₦22.15 billion budget for renovating and building 106 palaces for traditional leaders. Through his aide Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the federal government lacks the constitutional authority to fund such projects, which fall under the jurisdiction of state and local governments.
He described this budgetary allocation as a potential path to corruption and an illegal overreach of executive power. Atiku emphasized that the 1999 Constitution does not assign the federal government any executive responsibility over traditional institutions, as their management remains a state-level concern.
Furthermore, the former vice president questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the project, noting that the administration has failed to disclose the identities of the rulers involved or the specific locations of these developments. He labeled this secrecy a sign of possible malfeasance, suggesting the projects might only exist on paper. Atiku called on the federal government to release a detailed report on these expenditures and justify the legality of using the national treasury for such purposes.
