Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to provide evidence to support his allegation that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar used public funds to establish the American University of Nigeria, warning against attempts to intimidate opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amaechi made the demand during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, where he reacted to the President’s recent comments questioning how Atiku financed the private university while serving as vice-president.
“Show the evidence,” Amaechi challenged Tinubu, insisting that political leaders should not make allegations against opposition figures without providing proof.
The controversy followed Tinubu’s remarks at an All Progressives Congress presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he questioned how Atiku established a university while serving as vice-president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007.
The President had alleged that the former vice-president benefited from public resources to establish the institution, asking who provided the money for the project.
“Ask him how he built a university while in office as Vice-President in charge of our economy. Who built the university for him? It’s your money. It’s your effort,” Tinubu said.
Atiku, however, rejected the allegation, maintaining that his investment in education predated his time in public office. In a statement issued through his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president said he began investing in education before becoming vice-president in 1999.
He also referenced the establishment of ABTI Academy, which subsequently developed into AUN, and challenged Tinubu over a $460,000 forfeiture involving funds in a United States bank account associated with the President in the 1990s.
According to the university’s published history, ABTI Academy was established in 2002, while ABTI University received its licence in 2003. Construction of the university’s facilities began in October 2004.
Atiku has maintained that his business interests and investments are traceable, accusing Tinubu of attempting to distract Nigerians from the economic challenges facing the country.
The latest exchange comes amid growing political tensions between the ruling APC and opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Atiku emerging as a leading opposition figure under the African Democratic Congress.
Amaechi, who served as governor of Rivers State before becoming transportation minister under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has also criticised the Tinubu administration over its treatment of opposition politicians, warning that democracy would be undermined if government institutions were used to intimidate political opponents.
