As the 2023 elections draw near, Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has labelled Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a liar who cannot explain the source of his wealth.

Mr Tinubu threw jab at Mr Abubakar while addressing North-West Muslim leaders in Kano on Tuesday.

He asserted that Mr Abubakar’s explanation on how he became wealthy was inconsistent with the rules that guided the Civil Service, where Mr Abubakar worked before retiring. 

“They asked one of them. How did you get rich? He said he was doing transportation and motor vehicle business. He had forgotten that civil service (sic), you cannot do any other thing if you are a custom officer but farm. Who is lying to who? Who is contradicting who?” Mr Tinubu queried mockingly to the delight of his supporters who cheered him on at the event.

Mr Abubakar, the PDP presidential flag bearer, worked at the Nigeria Customs Service for 20 years until he retired in 1989 as a deputy director to join politics.

Mr Tinubu himself has faced widespread criticisms over conflicting narratives about the source of his stupendous wealth, which continues to change with every new interview.

The former Lagos governor had always claimed that bonuses from his job as a mid-level official at accounting firm Deloitte made him wealthy.

However, in his most recent assertion, he claimed that he became wealthy after inheriting real estate properties.

In 2020, Peoples Gazette published a series of financial documents that showed how Mr Tinubu was stealing to enrich himself via questionable tax administration in Lagos State.

Both Mr Tinubu and Mr Abubakar, whose sources of wealth appear questionable, are strong contenders in next month’s elections.