- With appointment of Xpress Payments Solutions as agent
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Federal government’s appointment of Xpress Payments Solutions Limited as a collecting agent under the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
He described the move as a dangerous reintroduction of the controversial Alpha Beta-style revenue model that once dominated Lagos State.
Alpha Beta Consulting is believed to one of Tinubu’s companies.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Atiku said the appointment was not a routine administrative action but a troubling revival of a system that created a private tollgate around public finances and channeled State resources into a politically connected monopoly.
He warned that replicating such a structure at the national level poses grave risks to Nigeria’s governance architecture.
According to him, what is unfolding is “an attempt to nationalise that same template,” a development he said could transform Nigeria from a republic into “a private holding company controlled by a small circle of vested interests.”
He faulted the manner in which the arrangement was introduced, saying it raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability in managing public funds.
Atiku also described the timing of the decision — coming when Nigerians are mourning victims of escalating insecurity.
The former Vice President questioned the process that led to Xpress Payments’ appointment, alleging that it was pushed into the public domain without consultation, stakeholder engagement or National Assembly oversight.
“What additional value does Xpress Payments bring to the TSA system, and who truly stands to benefit from this newly created role?” he queried.
“This is not reform. This is state capture masquerading as digital innovation,” he added.
Atiku called for immediate corrective measures to safeguard the TSA’s integrity and prevent the privatisation of national revenue collection.
He urged the suspension of the appointment pending a public inquiry, full disclosure of all contractual terms and fee structures, and the publication of beneficiaries and selection criteria.
He also demanded a comprehensive audit of the TSA to block any attempt at revenue capture, the establishment of a clear legal framework prohibiting private proxies from handling core government revenue functions, and a redirection of national priorities in view of worsening insecurity.
Urging the Federal government to abandon what he termed a “cartel-style” approach, Atiku stressed the need for transparency, constitutionalism and institutional integrity.
“Nigeria’s revenues are the lifeblood of our national survival. What the country needs is accountability, not the resurrection of monopolistic structures,” he said.