LAGOS, Nigeria — A spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has alleged that many Nigerian ministers pay billions of naira to secure their appointments and then prioritise recovering the money once in office.
Alwan Hassan made the claim on Thursday night during an interview on Arise News’ Prime Time programme, hosted by Charles Aniagolu. He was defending President Bola Tinubu’s hands-on approach to managing government revenue and expenditure amid questions about budget funding shortfalls.
“Charles, a lot of ministers pay billions and billions… to get themselves appointed. The first thing they think of is how to recoup that money,” Hassan said.
He described ministers as among “the most criminal elements in government,” adding that the practice is not unique to the current APC administration. “It is the truth I’m telling you about our country. Not just APC. Before APC, the biggest fraudulent people you arrest after every government are ministers,” he stated.
Hassan questioned the necessity of channelling budgets through ministers, arguing that Tinubu has personally overseen key expenditure decisions over the past three and a half years. “Whatever it is a budget is supposed to do in this country in the last three and a half years, Asiwaju has done it by himself. Why do we need ministers? Why do we need budget to be given to ministers?” he asked. He praised the president’s direct oversight as “fantastic.”
The remarks came as Hassan also discussed the APC’s 2027 election strategy, noting the party’s intention to flip states where Tinubu lost in 2023 and highlighting government projects in education, power, and other sectors as evidence of performance that would bolster the president’s re-election bid.
The comments quickly drew attention online and in traditional media. A widely shared clip of the interview amplified the allegation, with some social media users linking it to broader concerns about patronage, corruption, and the incentives facing political appointees.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, responded by challenging President Tinubu to name the ministers who allegedly paid the sums and identify who received the money. “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,” Atiku posted on X.
Host Charles Aniagolu pressed Hassan during the interview and later questioned the implications publicly, asking who collects such payments, who pays them, whether public appointments are effectively being sold, and whether ordinary Nigerians ultimately bear the cost through corruption.
Hassan’s statements have intensified debate about the integrity of the appointment process in Nigeria, a long-standing issue that predates the current administration and has been raised under previous governments. No specific ministers or recipients of alleged payments were named, and there has been no immediate official response from the presidency or the affected ministers confirming or denying the claims.
The episode underscores ongoing tensions over governance, accountability, and the use of public resources as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
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