In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Wednesday, Atiku demanded that the project be subjected to an independent value-for-money audit before further payments are made.
He argued that all payments should be suspended until Nigerians are fully convinced that the multibillion-naira project genuinely serves national interest.
Atiku recalled that when President Bola Tinubu’s administration unveiled the project, he had raised concerns that the cost was inflated to an outrageous ₦8 billion per kilometre — a claim that was initially dismissed by the Minister of Works, David Umahi.
However, Atiku said Umahi had recently admitted that the cost is indeed closer to ₦8 billion per kilometre, which validates his earlier warning.
“This admission not only vindicates the former Vice President’s position but also exposes the Tinubu administration’s lack of transparency in managing one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in Nigeria’s history,” the statement read.
