Betta Edu: She Is Innocent Until Proven Guilty – APC Replies Atiku

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his statement on the scandal surrounding the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

Recall that Atiku, while applauding President Bola Tinubu for suspending Edu, had insisted that she should not have been appointed as a minister in the first place.

Atiku had lamented that it was unfortunate that a programme that was designed to lift over 100 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty had become a cash cow for successive APC governments.

He stated this via a statement by his Special Assistant, Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Tuesday.

Reacting, APC cautioned Atiku against jumping to conclusions.

The APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, while speaking with Punch, insisted that Edu is not guilty until the allegations against her are proven.

He berated Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that they faced more corrupt allegations than Edu and the APC.

Ibrahim stated, “Atiku, from his record, it was said somewhere that he read elementary law. And if indeed he read law at whatever level, even if it is a kindergarten level, ought to know that the presumption of the law on an accused is that he is innocent until proven guilty.’’

“At the stage, we are now, a thorough investigation has been directed; it will be wrong for anyone to jump to the conclusion that there is theft or that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is a conduit that is made to siphon public funds for APC governments.

“If it is, the investigations will not have been directed, and the government would not have acted swiftly and appropriately it did.”