Makinde camp asks EFCC to probe alleged payments for ministerial appointments

By Luminous Jannamike The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate allegations that serving ministers paid billions of naira to secure appointments in President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The organisation, which is campaigning for Seyi Makinde under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), said the President’s silence five days after Tinubu campaign spokesperson Alwan Hassan reportedly made the revelation on national television had raised concerns about possible high-level complicity.

In a statement by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Nnanna Ihediwa, the campaign organisation accused the President of failing to address an allegation it said raised fundamental questions about the integrity of ministerial appointments and the conduct of his administration. “Mr. President’s silence validates public apprehension that either he is not in control or he sits in approval of a corrupt and fraudulent system where public offices are reduced to commodities sold to highest bidders,” the statement said.

The organisation further alleged that a cabal of APC leaders in the National Assembly, senior presidential aides and individuals close to Tinubu had usurped government responsibilities, paving the way for the appointment of people it described as incompetent and corrupt. It blamed the administration for worsening insecurity and economic hardship, warning that alleged diversion of public resources could further undermine efforts to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.

“The EFCC must identify all those involved in this bribe for appointment scandal and ensure that anyone found culpable is held accountable in accordance with the law,” the organisation said. It urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the country ahead of the 2027 presidential election, promising that a Makinde-Daura government would prioritise transparency, accountability, service delivery and citizens’ welfare under its proposed four-year ‘Reset Nigeria’ agenda.