Sambo reacts as ex-minister claims political interference in 2013 power sector privatisation

Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo says political considerations did not influence the selection of preferred bidders during the privatisation of Nigeria’s power sector.

Shamsudeen Usman, a former minister of budget and national planning, had criticised the 2013 privatisation process, alleging it was driven by political motives rather than the technical and financial competence of buyers.

He further accused officials of exploiting their positions to acquire stakes in the assets.

In a statement in Kaduna on Tuesday and signed by his personal secretary, Yinka Ibrahim, Sambo refuted the allegations, describing them as “false, mischievous, and hypocritical”.

He said the claims were designed to tarnish the reputation of the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration and the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), which he chaired at the time.

Sambo denied Usman’s allegations as baseless and said he was unaware of any actions during the process that compromised its integrity.

“My attention was drawn to a shocking statement attributed to Dr. Usman, suggesting political considerations influenced the selection of preferred bidders during the privatisation process. This is utterly ridiculous and a complete falsehood,” Sambo said.

He said the privatisation process was conducted transparently, with oversight from anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), both of which were statutory members of the council.

“As chairman of the Privatisation Council, I executed my responsibilities in line with established procedures and in the nation’s best interest, a fact acknowledged by both local and international observers,” Sambo said.

He added that the minister of power at the time resigned due to a conflict of interest in the privatisation process, further underscoring the council’s commitment to transparency.

Challenging Usman to substantiate his claims with specific details or evidence of political favouritism, Sambo questioned the timing and motives behind the accusations.

He noted that Usman, who had chaired several privatisation committees, was deeply involved in the process.

“It is surprising that he would make such accusations more than a decade later. One can only wonder if this is an attempt to curry favour with the current administration,” Sambo said.

He also advised President Bola Tinubu and Wale Edun, minister of finance, to be wary of Usman, describing him as “inconsistent and disloyal”.

“It is unfortunate to see someone who was so closely involved in the privatisation process now attempting to discredit it,” Sambo said.

The former vice-president described the situation as “a classic case of biting the hand that fed him”.