(FULL LIST): Top Nigerian female politicians with scandals

In Nigeria, numerous stakeholders perceive women’s political participation as an essential prerequisite for achieving gender equality and fostering a genuine democratic environment.

This involvement enables women to engage directly in public decision-making processes and enhances accountability to the female population.

Nevertheless, despite their efforts to attain positions within political office, some women face challenges related to public scandals, ThePapers reports…

Here are some of the top Nigerian female politicians with scandals. …Continue Reading

Diezani Alison-Madueke
On Tuesday 22 August 2023, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former oil minister, who also served as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries president, was charged by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) with bribery. The offences follow an investigation by the NCA, which alleges that she accepted bribes in exchange for oil and gas contracts worth millions of pounds while in government.

Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s Minister for Petroleum Resources during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration from 2010-2015. During this period, she allegedly received bribes amounting to £100,000 in cash and much more. According to the NCA, ‘She is alleged to have benefitted from at least £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family, and the use of multiple London properties.’

In March 2023, the NCA presented proof of her corrupt activities to the US Department of Justice which aided them in reclaiming assets valued at $53.1 million. The amount recovered is of record-breaking feat according to Andy Kelly, the Head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit. Kelly said: ‘We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts. These charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation.’

Patricia Etteh
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, in September 2007, faced a committee of MPs over accusations that she had authorised the spending of 628 million Naira (about US$5 million) on renovations of her official residence and that of her deputy, and the purchase of 12 official cars meant for the House of Representatives. Accusations of theft were chanted at her as she tried to speak in the House, and she was escorted out by the security men as the situation degenerated into a commotion.

The former lawmaker was arrested by EFCC and interrogated for allegedly receiving a suspicious N130 million payment from a contractor the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) awarded a solar-powered electrification project in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria’s South-South.

Etteh was elected Speaker in 2007 but resigned only after a few months amid allegations of financial misappropriation.

She is the only woman in the country’s history to have been elected Speaker.

Stella Oduah
After over two and half years of failed attempts, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) finally arraigned a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, and a Chinese construction giant, CCECC, on N5 billion fraud charges that have been filed against them since December 2020.

Alongside Ms Oduah, CCECC Nigeria Ltd, the Nigerian subsidiary of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) established by the Chinese government to execute international contracts and economic cooperation, is one of the leading defendants fingered in the case.

Another of the co-defendants is Gloria Odita (2nd defendant), who is said to be an aide to Ms Oduah when she was Minister of Aviation and company secretary of Sea Petroleum & Gas Company (SPGC) Limited, a firm founded by the former minister.

The rest include an employee of SPCG and aide to Ms Oduah, Nwobu Nnamdi (3rd defendant), Chukwuma Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, Tip Top Global Resources Ltd, Crystal Television Limited, and Sobora International Limited.

Kemi Adeosun
Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, admitted using a forged exemption certificate of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which she presented for her appointment in 2015.

Mrs Adeosun tendered her resignation letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on September 14, 2018, admitting that she realised that the NYSC certificate she had presented to be appointed as minister “was not genuine”.

She admitted presenting the same fraudulent certificate for her earlier appointment as Commissioner for Finance of Ogun State in 2011.

Prof. Adenike Grange
The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal quashed the charge preferred against the former Minister of Health, Professor Adenike Grange over her alleged complicity in the criminal diversion of N300 million unspent budget of the health ministry for 2007. Professor Grange lost her job as health minister.
But the judgment of the appellate court cleared her name and integrity.

Betta Edu
Nigeria’s suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has been in the eye of the storm since her appointment in August, 2023.
Edu, one of the youngest politicians who served as the National Women Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was accused of allegations of fraud, corruption and abuse of power in her ministry.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended Dr Edu from office and ordered a thorough investigation into her indictment in the alleged transfer of N585.189m meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states into a private account.

Sadiya Umar Farouq
Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, to account for payments of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians for six months.

The court also ordered the former minister to provide the list and details of the beneficiaries who received the payments, the number of states covered, and the payments per state.
The judgment was delivered in June by Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/L/CS/853/2021, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.

Citing health challenges, Umar-Farouq has officially written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission seeking an extension of the deadline to meet with EFCC interrogators over probe into the N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered during her tenure in office, through a contractor, James Okwete. She faces arrest by operatives of the EFCC after failing to appear before interrogators at the EFCC Headquarters.

Saadiya Umar Farouq resigned from the National Assembly Commission to officially join politics as a member of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), where she rose to become the national treasurer of the CPC, which dissolved into a new party.

Farouq became the interim national treasurer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from 2013 to 2014. She was appointed as a member of the APC’s presidential campaign council, where she served as the director of election planning and monitoring, field operations, and fundraising, in preparation for the 2015 general election which Buhari, as the presidential candidate of the APC, won.

Uju Ohanenye
Former Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Ohanenye, has been questioned by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged involvement in the misappropriation, violation of procurement processes, and diversion of public funds amounting to ₦138m.

The funds were allegedly misappropriated during the disbursement of the 2023 budgeted allocation for the ministry.

Kennedy-Ohanenye, who served under President Bola Tinubu’s administration until a recent cabinet reshuffle, now faces a deepening probe into financial irregularities.