Atiku violated 1999 Constitution when he served as customs officer: Tinubu
The campaign organisation of Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has clapped back at the opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The comments follow the former vice president’s television interview aired on Friday.
In a statement signed by Bayo Onanugu, the Tinubu Campaign’s director of media and communications, the organisation painted Mr Abubakar as untrustworthy with public funds, referencing his time in Nigeria’s Customs Service.
The statement described Mr Atiku as “a man who is not prepared for the job he is applying for and a man who can not be entrusted with our commonwealth.”
“It was most shocking Atiku admitted that he cheated the system for decades and engaged in gross misconduct as a government worker,” the statement said. “As a customs officer at the Idi-Iroko border, Atiku revealed that he ran a commercial taxi service, claiming ‘there is no law stopping public officers from doing business in Nigeria’. He punched harder, claiming there is no conflict of interest in doing so.”
Mr Tinubu’s campaign organisation cited Part I, Fifth Schedule, Section 2 (b) of the 1999 Constitution, maintaining that officers in the civil service are to comply with a code of conduct and service rules which bar civil and public servants from engaging in private business while in government employment to the detriment of the service he/she is employed to render to the public.
“We wonder which rule or which law Atiku was relying upon for his gross misconduct as a public officer. It is our considered view that Atiku gamed the system all through his career in public service, culminating in his founding of Intel Logistics along with Late Shehu Yar’Adua and some Italians, even while he was still in the employment of the Nigeria Customs Service,” the statement continued.
Mr Abubakar had worked in the Nigeria Customs Service for twenty years, rising to the rank of Deputy Director. He retired in April 1989 and took up full-time business and politics.
Mr Atiku was invited by Gabrielle Volpi, an Italian businessman in Nigeria, to set up Nigeria Container Services (NICOTES), a logistics company operating within the Ports.
In 2019, Mr Abubakar said that he was allowed to buy major shares in the private company. He maintained that did not set up the company but only bought shares at the time.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
States
Olubadan lauds Tinubu on release of Oriire kidnap victims, urges rehabilitation
“As a follow-up to this development, the government must ensure that all communities bordering the National Park are fully secure,” he said.
Heading 1
Iran’s new supreme leader vows revenge over father’s assassination by U.S.-Israeli forces
“We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers,” he said.
Heading 4
Trump administration subpoenas New York Times journalists over Air Force One story
The subpoenas seek to compel the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan.
Heading 2
Klopp agrees to replace Nagelsmann as Germany coach
Nagelsmann resigned last week as the men’s national team coach following Germany’s shocking exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Health
FG expands cancer funding, local drug production
“We are trying to domesticate expensive treatments by producing much-needed medicines locally and translating global research into action in our clinics,” he said.
Heading 3
Remi Tinubu begs Asake, Davido, Burna Boy to come rescue poor Nigerians from hunger
The first lady stated that buying exotic cars is good, but noted that the singers can still establish foundations to assist the struggling population.
