Alwan Hassan, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has declared that 95% of ministers who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari should be imprisoned due to rampant corruption during his tenure. His comments were made during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Hassan criticized the lack of oversight during Buhari’s administration, alleging it allowed ministers to act with impunity. He stated, “There has never been a time when ministers got free hands without supervision like Buhari’s eight years in office.” He suggested that the former president had warned his ministers to be prepared for potential accountability in the future.
While he acknowledged that a small fraction of officials—whom he referred to as the “5 percent”—were honest, he emphasized that corruption was widespread. Hassan portrayed Buhari’s administration as a “free-for-all,” where ministers operated with little accountability.
He contrasted this with the current administration under President Bola Tinubu, stating that it is more hands-on and careful regarding finances, noting that contractors are still awaiting payment for work done.
Several former ministers from Buhari’s cabinet are currently under investigation for alleged corruption, including:
- Sadiya Umar-Farouq, for mismanagement of social programme funds.
- Saleh Mamman, linked to a money-laundering scheme.
- Hadi Sirika, facing charges related to the “Nigeria Air” project.
- Timipre Sylva, under investigation for financial misconduct.
- Godwin Emefiele, facing charges for mismanagement of public funds.
Hassan’s harsh criticism reflects growing scrutiny of the previous government’s actions, as investigations into alleged misconduct continue to unfold.
