By Jethro Pada
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for his comments on the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu. Atiku had praised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to suspend Edu, expressing his belief that she should not have been appointed as a minister.
In response, the APC cautioned Atiku against making premature judgments and asserted that Betta Edu should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Bala Ibrahim, the APC Director of Publicity, emphasized that it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions before a thorough investigation is conducted and the allegations against Edu are substantiated.
Ibrahim took issue with Atiku’s statements, pointing out that the presumption of innocence is a fundamental legal principle. He suggested that Atiku, given his purported legal background, should be aware of this principle and refrain from making sweeping judgments about Edu’s guilt.
Furthermore, Ibrahim defended the government’s actions, highlighting the swift and appropriate response to the situation through the initiation of investigations. He also criticized Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleging that they faced more corruption allegations than Edu and the APC.
The APC spokesperson concluded by emphasizing the need to await the outcome of the investigations before making conclusive statements about the alleged misconduct within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.