Alwan Hassan’s comment on appointment scandal not about Tinubu’s ministers – Felix Morka
The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has refuted claims that ministers in President Bola Tinubu’s administration paid billions of naira to secure their appointments.
In an interview on Arise News on Wednesday, Morka asserted that ministerial selections were based on competence and not monetary transactions. His comments came in response to earlier allegations made by Alwan Hassan, a spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council. Hassan had suggested that some ministers engaged in financial transactions to obtain their positions and sought to recuperate those sums after taking office.
Morka revealed that he spoke privately with Hassan, who clarified that his remarks pertained to practices prior to the current administration rather than the present government.
“I had a moment to speak with Alwan to understand what he was thinking when he made those comments,” Morka said. “He explained that what he was referring to was not really about this administration, but he was speaking in a historical context.”
He acknowledged the potential for misinterpretation in Hassan’s statements, which could imply that officials had paid for their appointments. Morka emphasized the distinction between lobbying for political positions and directly paying for them, calling the latter unacceptable.
“In all democracies, lobbying for appointments is not unusual,” he noted, pointing to similar practices in the United States. “However, the concern arises when lobbying becomes monetized, where individuals pay money to influence or procure appointments.”
Morka firmly rejected the allegations of financial transactions for ministerial positions, stating, “I can tell you without equivocation that there’s no such thing. It didn’t happen. Our ministers were selected on the basis of their competence.”
He added that Hassan had expressed regret regarding the framing of his earlier comments and indicated that he intended to discuss the issue within a historical context.
“After our conversation, it was clear that Hassan felt he had not articulated his thoughts effectively,” Morka said. “He clarified that he did not mean to suggest any current practices, but rather aimed to place the discussion in a historical framework.”
