The Presidency has come out to defend the integrity of Abubakar Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning.
Despite tough questions regarding the Minister's past, Daniel Bwala insisted that the Tinubu administration is not employing anyone with a proven record of corruption.
Critics often point to a 1999 investigation where a Swiss lawyer was hired to recover billions of dollars stolen by the Abacha family and their associates, including Bagudu.
Bwala told international media that "there is no evidence" that Bagudu stole money from the Nigerian government, effectively dismissing the US court findings as irrelevant to Nigeria's internal governance.
The heated exchange occurred on Al Jazeera, where the host questioned why a man linked to the "Abacha loot" is now in charge of Nigeria’s national budget.
The Presidency's stance is that unless a Nigerian court convicts an individual, they are considered innocent and capable of holding high-ranking public office.
