An allegation that ministers paid billions of naira for government posts prompted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to challenge President Bola Tinubu to identify both the payers and recipients.
Alwan Hassan, who speaks for the presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the claim in a Thursday Arise News interview while defending Tinubu’s record ahead of the 2027 general election. Hassan said some ministers later sought to recover the money after joining the administration and argued that the practice predated the APC’s rise to power. He did not name any ministers or alleged recipients.
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, addressed Tinubu in a post on X Friday. “Nigerians deserve names, not silence,” he wrote, calling on the president to identify those involved.
Atiku also blamed Tinubu’s policy choices for worsening the cost-of-living crisis. He said the government’s mistrust of its ministers shaped its handling of ministry budgets, with Nigerians bearing the consequences.
