Abdulrasheed Maina’s Pension Case, 4 Other Political Scandals That Shook Nigeria

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics and governance in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - Political scandals have long been a captivating aspect of the society, stirring disbelief, intrigue, and sometimes outrage.

These incidents of misconduct, betrayal, and abuse of power can have far-reaching consequences, reshaping the political landscape and influencing public opinion.

Political scandals that shook Nigeria

In this article, Legit.ng looks at five of the biggest political scandals in Nigeria's history.

1) Halliburton bribery scandal

In what is now infamously known as the “Halliburton Bribery Scandal”, a consortium of companies made up of KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton, Technip of France; Snamprogetti, a subsidiary of ENI of Italy; and Gasoline Corp, now JGC Corporation, a Japanese company, paid over $180 million in bribe to Nigerian officials, including pasts heads of states and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC's) top brass, between 1993 and 2004 to secure a construction contract for a liquefied natural gas plant in Bonny Island in the Niger Delta.

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The four companies were made to pay a total of $1.65 billion in fines to the United States under FCPA laws.

Several foreigners involved in the matter were prosecuted in their home countries.

2) Allegations of financial misconduct against Alison-Madueke

Diezani Alison-Madueke was the minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Shortly before Jonathan handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, she left the country.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the former minister stole $2.5 billion from the Nigerian government while she was a minister. She denied the allegations, while the EFCC has since commenced a process to extradite her.

The federal government secured a forfeiture order of Diezani’s properties located in Banana Island Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, including 18 flats and six penthouses.

3) Stella Oduah bullet-proof car scandal

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In 2013, Senator Oduah was embroiled in the car purchase allegations in 2013, when reports emerged that she had compelled the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), an agency under her as minister of aviation, to procure the vehicles for her.

The purchase drew nationwide controversy, and activists like Femi Falana (a senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN), urged EFCC to conduct a thorough investigation with a view to prosecuting the former minister. But Oduah, who was elected into the senate even as the scandal raged in 2015, has always maintained her innocence.

She stated that in response to a query by Jonathan in October 2013 that the procurement was duly provided for in the NCAA budget that year, which also adopted lease payments in installments over 36 months.

4) Farouk Lawan and Otedola bribery scandal

In February 2013, Farouk Lawan was charged with corruption after he allegedly accepted $500,000 from Femi Otedola, a Nigerian billionaire oil tycoon, as part of a $3 million bribe Lawan had allegedly solicited from Otedola.

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Otedola claimed that Lawan demanded the bribe in order to have his company, Zenon, removed from the list of companies that the committee had implicated in the scandal.

Lawan subsequently landed in prison.

In January 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by Lawan against the judgments of the lower court which imprisoned him. In October of that year, he was released from prison.

5) Abdulrasheed Maina’s pension case

Abdulrasheed Maina was the head of the task force on pension reforms during the Jonathan-led administration but fled Nigeria in 2015 after claims that he embezzled two billion naira ($5.6 million, 4.8 million euros). Despite the fact that an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) was issued, he still managed to return to Nigeria, where he was said to have enjoyed protection from the Buhari government.

Maina had been fired from his position by the Jonathan administration and was put under investigation for corrupt practices but was reinstated and given a double promotion by the Buhari administration. Maina was convicted after he was found guilty of money laundering.

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Obi makes reference to Tinubu's alleged scandals

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a prominent opposition leader in Nigeria Peter Obi made a cryptic reference to President Bola Tinubu's purported drug and identity scandals.

While expressing his dissatisfaction with the state of democracy in Nigeria, the former Anambra state governor explained that people aspiring for political offices must have verifiable certificates.

Source: Legit.ng