Former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged the Federal Government to “come clean with Nigerians” following the quiet appointment of Xpress Payment Solutions Limited as a new collecting agent under the Treasury Single Account (TSA) framework.
Atiku, in a statement shared on Sunday through his verified X (formerly Twitter) page, warned that the move mirrors what he described as the “resurrection of a revenue cartel” similar to the Alpha Beta model that once dominated Lagos State’s finances.
Atiku: Appointment Signals a Dangerous Shift
Describing the decision as more than a routine administrative change, Atiku said the new arrangement risks creating a “private toll gate around public revenue,” funnelling national funds into the hands of politically connected interests.
He argued that the development signals an attempt to “nationalise” a system that previously allowed a small network of actors to exert control over state resources.
“At a time when Nigerians are mourning loved ones lost to escalating insecurity, introducing such a policy is not only insensitive but represents governance by stealth,” Atiku said. “Leadership should show empathy in a period of national grief, not expand private revenue pipelines.”
Questions Over Secrecy and Transparency
Atiku challenged the Federal Government to explain why the appointment was made quietly, without public consultation, stakeholder engagement or National Assembly oversight.
He asked what value the newly appointed firm adds to existing TSA channels, and who ultimately stands to benefit from the decision.
“This is not reform. This is state capture masquerading as digital innovation,” he declared.
Atiku’s Demands to the FG
The former PDP flag bearer called for immediate action, listing the following demands:
1. Immediate suspension of the Xpress Payments appointment pending an open inquiry.
2. Full disclosure of contractual terms, fee structures, beneficiaries and criteria used for selecting the company.
3. A comprehensive audit of all TSA operations to prevent what he described as creeping privatisation of national revenue.
4. A clear legal framework — not executive shortcuts — to block private proxies from entering core government revenue processes.
5. A national security–aligned governance focus, noting that a country battling widespread insecurity cannot tolerate opaque financial arrangements.
Atiku stressed that Nigeria’s public revenues are “not political spoils” but vital resources required to stabilise communities amid worsening insecurity.
“The government must abandon this Lagos-style revenue cartelisation and return to transparency, constitutionalism and accountability,” he concluded.
Source: LeadNaija News.
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