Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to identify ministers and other officials allegedly involved in paying and receiving billions of naira in bribes to secure ministerial appointments.
Atiku’s challenge followed allegations by Alwan Hassan, a spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, that some ministers paid billions of naira to secure their appointments.
In a post on his X handle on Friday, Atiku questioned who received the alleged payments, arguing that Nigerians deserved to know the identities of those involved.
“Bola @officialABAT, your campaign spokesman has admitted that ministers paid billions in bribes to secure their appointments. You appointed them, so who received the money? Nigerians deserve names, not silence,” he wrote.
The former vice president also criticised the Tinubu administration over the rising cost of living, blaming the government’s policies for the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
He further alleged that the withholding of funds from ministries due to a lack of trust in ministers had worsened the situation.
“Your government’s reckless decisions have driven the cost-of-living crisis. And when you withhold funds from ministries because you distrust your own ministers, Nigerians are left paying for a government that has abandoned them,” Atiku added.
Hassan made the allegations during an interview with Arise News on Thursday while defending Tinubu’s administration ahead of the 2027 general election.
He claimed that some ministers pay billions of naira to secure appointments and subsequently prioritise recovering the money after assuming office.
“A lot of ministers pay billions to be appointed, and the first thing they think of is how to recoup that money after being appointed,” Hassan said.
He added that the alleged practice was not exclusive to the APC administration, claiming it predated the party’s emergence into government.
“It is the truth about our country and not just APC ministers; it started before the APC,” he said.
However, Hassan did not identify any minister who allegedly paid for an appointment or name the individuals who purportedly received the payments.
While defending the administration’s performance, the APC spokesperson also highlighted government initiatives in the power and education sectors, including funding for electricity meters and the renovation of primary schools and classrooms, as evidence of its achievements ahead of the 2027 elections.
