Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has called for the suspension of the appointment of Xpress Payment Solutions Limited as a new Treasury Single Account (TSA) collecting agent.

The opposition leader accused the Federal Government of attempting to nationalise what he termed as the “Lagos-style revenue cartel”, calling for enquiries over the appointment.

In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Atiku said the appointment represented a dangerous resurrection of the Alpha Beta revenue collecting agency in Lagos State.

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The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections noted, ” The quiet appointment of Xpress Payments Solutions Limited as a new TSA collecting agent is not an administrative decision, it is a dangerous resurrection of the Alpha Beta revenue cartel that dominated Lagos State during and after the Tinubu years.”

He said the decision poses a serious threat to national accountability, adding, “That model created a private toll gate around public revenue and funnelled state funds into the hands of a politically connected monopoly.

“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.”

The opposition leader also lamented the timing of the appointment, describing it as insensitive and “a deliberate act of governance by stealth introduced while Nigerians were mourning loved ones lost to worsening insecurity across the country.

“When a nation is grieving, leadership should show empathy and focus on securing lives, not on expanding private revenue pipelines,” he said.

He wondered why the appointment was “rushed and smuggled into the public space without consultation, stakeholder engagement, or National Assembly oversight.

“What value does Xpress Payments add that existing TSA channels do not already provide? Who truly benefits from this? Nigeria or an entrenched political network?” he said.

He also argued that Nigeria does not need “more middlemen between citizens and their government revenue,” but rather greater transparency, stronger institutions, and a tax system free from political capture.

He called for immediate suspension of the Xpress Payments appointment pending a public inquiry, as well as full disclosure of the contractual terms, beneficiaries, fee structures, and selection criteria.

He further demanded a comprehensive audit of the TSA system to prevent the creeping privatisation of revenue collection and prohibit the insertion of private proxies into core government revenue systems, adding “Nigeria’s revenues are not political spoils. They are the lifeblood of our national survival, especially at a time when insecurity is tearing communities apart,” he said.