Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns after an unknown individual transferred money into one of his private bank accounts, warning that the incident may point to a serious breach of confidential banking information.

Atiku said the transaction, which was labelled "Contribution Electioneering Campaign," was neither requested nor authorised by him or his campaign.

In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president described the circumstances surrounding the payment as "deeply troubling."

According to the statement, the account in question is a strictly private one and its details are not publicly available.

"The transfer originated from a person totally unknown to His Excellency. Neither His Excellency nor his campaign solicited, authorised or has any knowledge of the individual or entity behind the unauthorised payment," the statement said.

Atiku questioned how an unknown individual gained access to the confidential details of his private bank account.

"The account is a strictly private one whose details are not in the public domain. This raises a fundamental question: How did unknown persons obtain the confidential banking details of a private citizen?" he asked.

'No Nigerian's financial privacy is safe'

The former vice president warned that if the banking details of a former vice president and leading presidential candidate could be accessed without authorisation, the financial privacy of ordinary Nigerians could also be at risk.

"If the private banking information of a former Vice President and a leading presidential candidate can be accessed and deployed for reasons yet unknown, then no Nigerian's financial privacy is safe," Atiku said.

He further expressed fears that the account details may have been obtained by individuals with privileged access, describing such a possibility as a grave abuse of power.

"If established, this would amount to a grave abuse of power capable of exposing the account holder to kidnappers, terrorists, bandits, fraudsters and other criminal elements," the statement added.

Atiku also described the incident as part of a series of suspicious developments ahead of the 2027 general election but insisted it would not derail his political ambition.

"As political activities gather momentum, Nigerians should not be distracted by these tired tactics that smack of character assassination.

"Such desperate antics have failed before and will fail again. The Waziri Adamawa remains focused on offering Nigerians credible leadership and practical solutions to the nation's challenges," he said.