***Demands Probe of alleged billions paid for ministerial appointments
The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has demanded an independent investigation into allegations that some ministers paid billions of naira to secure appointments
This is coming against the background of controversial remarks by Alwan Hassan, a spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
The council also called on President Bola Tinubu, anti-corruption agencies and the National Assembly to establish the facts behind Hassan’s comments
It warns that any evidence of payments for public appointments would raise serious questions about accountability and the integrity of government institutions.
Speaking on Arise TV, Hassan reportedly said: “A lot of ministers pay billions and billions, and, you know, to get themselves appointed. The first thing they think of is how to recoup that money.”
The remarks triggered public controversy, prompting APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka to explain that Hassan was speaking in a historical context. Morka said he had spoken privately with Hassan to clarify his meaning and acknowledged that the comments had left considerable ambiguity.
However, the ADC-PCC said the explanation had failed to address the substance of the allegations, insisting that Nigerians deserved a transparent account of what the campaign spokesman meant.
“The APC is not honest with Nigerians,” said Kola Ologbondiyan, the council’s Director of Media and Publicity, arguing that the controversy required more than political explanations.
Ologbondiyan alleged that corruption had weakened government institutions and undermined their capacity to deliver public services.
“There is so much corruption going on around this government. Ministries are not functioning, directorates are not functioning, and agencies are in the same dire straits. Nigeria is comatose. APC has failed woefully,” he said.
The council argued that if public appointments were obtained through improper payments, officeholders could be tempted to prioritise recovering their alleged investments over serving the public.
It also criticised the Tinubu administration’s economic management and record of delivering on its promises. Ologbondiyan alleged that the government had failed to implement a full budget during its first three years, a claim that requires assessment against official budget execution records.
The ADC-PCC further raised concerns about allegations that recruitment opportunities in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were being sold to applicants.
It warned that, if established, such practices would disadvantage qualified Nigerians, particularly young people seeking employment, while undermining merit-based recruitment and public confidence in government institutions.
The council did not provide specific cases or documentary evidence to substantiate the alleged sale of recruitment slots, but called for any credible evidence of recruitment racketeering to be investigated.
The opposition council subsequently outlined four demands to address the controversy.
It asked President Tinubu to clarify publicly whether he was aware of the allegations, whether an investigation had commenced and what action his administration would take if wrongdoing were established.
It also challenged Hassan to provide verifiable details supporting his remarks, including the identities of the ministers allegedly involved, the amounts purportedly paid and the recipients of the money.
The ADC-PCC called on anti-corruption agencies to launch an independent investigation and urged the National Assembly to consider a public inquiry, including inviting Hassan to explain his comments and provide supporting evidence.
The council maintained that the allegations should be resolved through credible investigations rather than competing political statements.
Turning its attention to the 2027 general election, the ADC-PCC urged Nigerians to make accountability, transparency and institutional performance central issues in deciding the country’s political future.
“Nigeria cannot afford another four years of this. Nigerians must not allow the APC to return itself to power,” Ologbondiyan said.
The council argued that the controversy underscored the need for greater scrutiny of political appointments and government recruitment, insisting that any proven corruption should attract appropriate consequences regardless of political affiliation.
However, the allegations concerning payments for ministerial appointments and the purported sale of government jobs remain unproven and require independent verification.
