Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government to suspend the recent appointment of Xpress Payments Solutions Limited as a Treasury Single Account collecting agent. In a public statement issued on 23 November 2025, he alleged that the move lacks transparency, bypasses due process, and signals an attempt to revive a politically connected revenue structure similar to the Alpha Beta model once used in Lagos State.

Atiku criticised the manner in which the appointment was made, describing it as a secretive decision that fails to meet the standards expected of a federal revenue policy. He said the Federal Government must “come clean with Nigerians,” warning that the development represents more than an administrative adjustment.

According to him, the choice of Xpress Payments mirrors a system that once “created a private toll gate around public revenue and funnelled state funds into the hands of a politically connected monopoly.” He argued that what Nigeria faces now is the attempt to elevate that structure to the national level, turning the country from a republic into what he described as a private holding company controlled by a small group of vested interests.

Atiku faulted the timing of the policy, noting that it was introduced at a moment when many Nigerians are grappling with the loss of loved ones due to rising insecurity across the country. He said leadership should focus on securing lives and offering empathy during a national tragedy, not on expanding “private revenue pipelines.”

In his statement, he raised several questions about the decision. He asked why the appointment was made without consultation, stakeholder engagement, or oversight by the National Assembly. He also questioned what value Xpress Payments brings that existing TSA channels do not already provide, and who ultimately stands to benefit from the arrangement.

Atiku argued that the development does not qualify as reform, calling it “state capture masquerading as digital innovation.” He insisted that Nigerians do not need additional intermediaries between themselves and government revenue but rather stronger institutions, more transparency, and a tax system free from political influence.

He called for immediate action to address the concerns raised. Atiku urged the Federal Government to suspend the appointment pending a public inquiry and to disclose the contractual terms, beneficiaries, fee structures, and criteria used to select Xpress Payments. He also demanded a comprehensive audit of TSA operations to prevent what he termed the creeping privatisation of revenue collection. In addition, he called for a legal framework that prevents the insertion of private proxies into core revenue systems and urged government to prioritise national security instead of what he considers governance conducted away from public scrutiny.

Atiku concluded by stressing that Nigeria’s revenue streams are not political rewards but the foundation of national stability, especially at a time of widespread insecurity. He urged the government to abandon what he described as Lagos style revenue cartel practices and return to transparency, constitutional procedure, and full accountability.