A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alwan Hassan, has sparked controversy with a sweeping allegation that the vast majority of ministers who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari should be prosecuted and jailed over alleged corruption and abuse of office.
Hassan made the remarks during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, amid growing public and institutional scrutiny of officials who held key positions during Buhari’s eight-year administration from 2015 to 2023.
According to him, the Buhari era was characterised by weak oversight and excessive autonomy granted to cabinet members, a situation he claimed encouraged widespread misconduct.
He alleged that as many as 95 per cent of ministers who served during that period ought to be facing imprisonment, arguing that they operated with little or no supervision from the presidency.
Hassan claimed that the former president himself had, at various times, warned his ministers to keep records of their activities in anticipation of future accountability, suggesting that Buhari was aware of questionable practices within his administration.
He described the period as one in which ministers exercised unchecked authority, with budgets fully released and minimal presidential interference.
Despite his harsh criticism, the APC chieftain acknowledged that not all officials from the Buhari administration were culpable.
He said a small fraction of ministers acted with integrity, describing them as exceptions in what he portrayed as an otherwise corrupt system.
Hassan also argued that the absence of strong central control created what he termed a “free-for-all,” where individual ministers operated independently, often forming personal power blocs around access to the president.
According to him, this dynamic weakened institutional accountability and contributed to alleged financial mismanagement across several sectors.
In contrasting the past administration with the current government, Hassan praised President Bola Tinubu’s leadership style, describing it as more hands-on and financially disciplined.
He said the present administration exercised tighter control over public finances, noting that contractors and ministries now face stricter scrutiny in the release and utilisation of funds.
His comments come at a time when several former officials of the Buhari administration are under investigation or facing prosecution over allegations ranging from mismanagement of public funds to money laundering and contract fraud.
Among those reportedly under scrutiny are former ministers responsible for humanitarian affairs, power, aviation, and petroleum resources, as well as the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The remarks have added fuel to an already intense national debate over Buhari’s legacy, accountability in governance, and the extent to which former public office holders should be held responsible for alleged abuses committed while in office.
