Odita Sunday 
HURIWA Demands Probe Into Alleged Payments for Ministerial Appointments
By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for an independent investigation into an allegation that some ministers paid billions of naira to secure appointments in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, demanding answers from the Presidency and relevant anti-corruption agencies.
The rights group said the allegation by Alwan Hassan, a spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, raises serious questions about the process of appointing public officials and whether financial inducements influenced access to government positions.
In a statement dated October 27, 2026, and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA urged Tinubu to address the matter and ensure that any investigation into the allegation is conducted independently and transparently.
The association said Nigerians deserved to know whether money was paid to secure ministerial appointments, who allegedly received such payments and whether any public officials helped arrange the transactions.
It also questioned whether individuals who allegedly spent huge sums to obtain public office could be expected to serve the public interest without attempting to recover their supposed investments through government activities.
HURIWA urged the President to clarify whether he was aware of the allegation and whether any steps had been taken to establish the facts.
The group warned that leaving the matter unresolved could deepen public suspicion and undermine confidence in the administration’s commitment to accountability.
The association also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau to clarify whether they had received complaints or begun inquiries into the allegation.
It urged the agencies to examine any credible evidence within their respective legal mandates, regardless of the political connections of those who might be implicated.
HURIWA warned that failing to act on credible allegations involving powerful public officials could reinforce the perception that politically connected individuals are treated differently from ordinary Nigerians.
However, the group acknowledged that institutional silence does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing, while stressing that prolonged inaction could damage public confidence.
It also challenged Hassan to explain the basis of his reported claim and provide any supporting information available to him to assist a lawful investigation.
HURIWA further called for an independent investigation into a separate ₦400 million bribery allegation reportedly linked to the head of an agency described in the controversy as fictitious.
It urged investigators to establish who allegedly demanded or offered the money, the circumstances surrounding the claim and whether evidence exists to support allegations of criminal conduct.
The association also called for any demonstrable links between the separate controversies to be examined, cautioning against assuming that they were necessarily connected.
It maintained that nobody should be allowed to interfere with a lawful investigation because of political influence or proximity to the Presidency.
The rights group said allegations of payments for political appointments raise broader concerns about the integrity of public service and the possibility of public office being used to pursue private financial interests.
It warned that if appointments were obtained through financial inducements and those involved later abused their positions to recover the money, public spending and service delivery could suffer.
HURIWA posed several questions it wants the government and relevant agencies to answer: Who allegedly paid the money? Who received or facilitated the payments? Were public officials involved? Did any appointees abuse their positions to recover the alleged expenditure? And what steps are the relevant agencies taking to establish the facts?
The association urged Tinubu to support an impartial investigation, protect investigators from political interference and ensure that anyone against whom sufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing is established faces prosecution in accordance with the law.
It also called for Hassan to clarify his reported remarks and cooperate with investigators.
While emphasising that the allegations remain unproven and that anyone implicated is entitled to due process, HURIWA said this should not prevent the authorities from examining credible claims.
The group maintained that appointments to public office should be based on competence, integrity and commitment to national service, rather than financial inducements or expectations of private returns.
It urged the Presidency and anti-corruption agencies to provide credible answers, insisting that accountability must apply to everyone, regardless of political affiliation or official position.
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