Atiku warns against alarming state capture via TSA appointee

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Sunday, November 23, 2025, strongly criticised the appointment of Xpress Payment Solutions Limited as a Treasury Single Account (TSA) collecting agent by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, labelling it a dangerous case of state capture and a replication of the controversial Alpha Beta revenue model.

Atiku Abubakar’s statement, issued on social media, asserted that the quiet decision to integrate Xpress Payments into the TSA framework amounts to a “resurrection” of a cartelised revenue system he said once dominated Lagos State; one that funnelled public funds into the hands of politically connected interests.

He warned that the move signals a worrying shift: “What we are witnessing now is the attempt to nationalise that same template, moving Nigeria from a republic to a private holding company controlled by a small circle of vested interests.”

Atiku further rejected the timing of the appointment, describing it as insensitive given the country’s deepening insecurity and widespread public loss.

He argued that leadership should prioritise empathy and security rather than expanding “private revenue pipelines” at such a moment.

He raised several hard-hitting questions: Why was the decision “rushed” without stakeholder consultation or parliamentary oversight? What advantage does Xpress Payments bring compared to existing TSA channels? More pointedly, he asked, who benefits from this — ordinary Nigerians or a politically entrenched network?

This, he insisted, is not reform. In his words,

“This is state capture masquerading as digital innovation.” He called for immediate suspension of the appointment, a public inquiry into the contractual terms, full transparency on fees and beneficiaries, and stronger legal protections to prevent private proxies from being embedded in government revenue systems.

Atiku also linked the controversy to national security, arguing that “a country under assault cannot afford economic governance conducted in the shadows.”

He urged the federal government to abandon what he described as a “Lagos-style revenue cartelisation” and return to principles of transparency, constitutionalism, and public accountability.

The appointment of Xpress Payments as a TSA collecting agent was confirmed earlier this month by the FIRS.

Also read: Atiku Abubakar condemns Sowore arrest as shameful act

Acting Managing Director of Xpress Payments, Mr Wale Olayisade, welcomed the move as a milestone, promising robust infrastructure and customer support to ensure secure, efficient transactions.

Source: Read more at iretura.com

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.