The spokesperson of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of corruption and incompetence, citing allegations by Alwan Hassan that ministers pay billions of naira to safe appointments and should prioritise recouping their investments over the welfare of Nigerians.
Recall that Alwan Hassan, in an interview on Arise News, alleged that some ministers pay billions of naira to safe appointments and subsequently search to recoup the cash, claiming the apply predates the APC-led administration.”
However, Hassan clarified that he was not referring particularly to ministers serving beneath the APC-led authorities, saying the apply predated the social gathering.
Reacting to the allegation, Okonkwo argued that the declare raised questions on corruption inside the Tinubu administration, citing the constitutional roles of the President and Senate within the appointment of ministers.
“Alwan got here in right here and stated it clearly that ministers—and I’m speaking about paraphrasing it—ministers in Tinubu’s regime pay billions to be appointed. And in case you permit them, they must recoup the billions earlier than they give thought to the individuals. And he stated that is the explanation Tinubu is doing it alone.
“But Alwan forgot when he was saying that ministers pay billions, that in keeping with part one for the summon of the Nigerian Constitution, subsection one, it’s the president that establishes the posts of ministers and appoints anyone to it. And subsection two says it’s the Senate that confirms the appointment. So if anyone is paying anyone cash in billions to be appointed, he’s paying it both to the presidency or the Senate, as a result of they’re the individuals constitutionally bestowed with the ability to nominate the ministers.
“So you can see the nexus that this government is absolutely corrupt and incompetent.”
Okonkwo maintained that the alleged fee of billions for ministerial appointments was an APC affair, insisting that people implicated within the scandal ought to face trial equally.
“Alwan is a spokesperson of the APC. Tinubu inherited the presidency from another APC government. So, if it predated Tinubu, it is still landing on APC’s head, and Alwan has been there from the beginning. It’s an APC affair, paying billions.”
He stated an Atiku Abubakar-led administration would implement the Oronsaye Report to eradicate redundant and overlapping authorities businesses, whereas guaranteeing direct allocation of funds to native governments.
“What would Atiku Abubakar do differently? Atiku Abubakar has publicly announced he is going to implement the Oronsaye report. Oronsaye report will help you identify the agencies that are redundant, that are fake, and that are overflapping each other. And then you will now have to streamline them, you have to merge them, and you have to eliminate the fake ones. Atiku Abubakar is very clear in that restructuring, just as he’s very clear that he’s going to transfer the money of local governments direct to them.”
On the redeployment of Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi to go INEC’s Electoral Operations Department, Okonkwo argued that her husband, Segun Showunmi, who’s concerned in President Bola Tinubu’s re-election marketing campaign, raises issues about potential bias given the division’s duty for distributing electoral supplies, deploying advert hoc employees and coordinating polling unit operations on election day.
“First and foremost, theologically, the husband and the spouse are one. So it’s assumed, it’s not even by his spouse, it’s assumed given by God that the particular person sitting there because the electoral operation division officer is Showunmi. In regulation, we’re not speaking about whether or not there will probably be bias. We’re saying that something that has the chance of bias isn’t allowed.
“So, allowing the wife of Showunmi to be the electoral operation department officer just before the election, there is absolute likelihood of bias.”
Okonkwo argued that the redeployment of Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi raised issues about INEC’s neutrality, alleging it might be a part of a deliberate try to rig the 2027 elections in favour of President Tinubu.
“That’s why we’re saying that if Amupitan critically believes that he desires to conduct an election that will probably be perceived as free, truthful, and credible, that girl shouldn’t be there.
“So, you see, for me, and this is my own opinion, my submission is that this is a deliberate attempt to ensure that the election is rigged, to pronounce Tinubu as president, maybe eliminating the technical glitch.”
Favour Odima
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