By George Omagbemi
ABUJA — October 5, 2026: Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has demanded greater transparency over ₦33.75 billion in cash transfers made to more than 3.29 million households in 2023, after an Auditor-General’s report raised questions about the records available to verify the payments.
The Auditor-General for the Federation said electronic transfers totalling ₦33.751 billion were recorded as payments to 3,295,207 households and beneficiaries across 35 states, but auditors could not independently authenticate the recipients because payment vouchers lacked full beneficiary details and a Remita statement needed for reconciliation was not presented during the audit.
Atiku subsequently called for an independent examination of the payments, saying the government should provide verifiable records showing who received the money, how much was paid and through which channels. He said an expert team comprising financial, audit, technology and public-accounting specialists should trace the available records.
However, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) has rejected suggestions that the audit findings establish fraud, diversion or loss of the ₦33.75 billion.
The agency said the money was transferred through the established payment architecture to beneficiaries captured in the National Beneficiary Register. It also said beneficiary and payment records were maintained electronically and that documents, including beneficiary data and payment information, were transmitted to auditors.
The NCTO further disputed the Auditor-General’s suggestion that its officials obstructed access to Remita records, saying it had correspondence showing that relevant payment information was shared with the audit team.
The dispute therefore centres on whether the available documentation is sufficient to independently reconcile the payments with verified beneficiaries, rather than an established finding that the money was stolen.
The Auditor-General recommended that the National Cash Transfer Office account to the National Assembly for the funds and provide evidence that the beneficiaries received the payments. The audit also raised separate queries involving other transactions under the programme.
Atiku has maintained that Nigerians deserve a transparent account of public funds allocated to support vulnerable households, while the NCTO says it is prepared to provide records and respond to the audit observations.
The controversy has renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s social-intervention programmes and the systems used to identify beneficiaries, authorise payments and independently verify the delivery of public funds.
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