The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the composition of President Bola Tinubu's 2027 presidential campaign council, describing it as a 'rehabilitation centre' for individuals linked to unresolved corruption allegations. The party's criticism centers on the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Betta Edu and former NSITF Chairman Ngozi Olejeme, among others, raising questions about the government's commitment to accountability.
ADC's Stance on Campaign Council Appointments
The ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, issued a statement on Saturday following the unveiling of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election. According to the APC's membership list, President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima will chair the council as Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, with APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda serving as Vice-Chairman II. Former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari was appointed Director-General, and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as Secretary.
Other prominent figures include Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, and President's Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila. Notably, Ms Edu was appointed Director of Women Mobilisation, while Ms Olejeme was named Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination and Mobilisation for the South-South.
Questions on Corruption Cases
Mr Abdullahi said what should have been a political structure for the president's re-election campaign had instead become a platform for people facing unresolved questions about corruption and public accountability. 'We have taken note of the composition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's 2027 campaign council. What should ordinarily be a political task team ends up looking like a rehabilitation system for individuals carrying unresolved questions of corruption and public accountability,' he said.
The ADC singled out Ms Edu, who was suspended by Mr Tinubu in January 2024 following controversy over an alleged request for the transfer of N585 million to a private account. The former minister denied wrongdoing, while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) subsequently investigated the matter. Mr Abdullahi also questioned the inclusion of Ms Olejeme, who has faced EFCC prosecution over alleged financial crimes related to her tenure at NSITF.
'One important question that the inclusion of these individuals provokes is what happened to the cases involving these individuals. If they have been cleared, the government should show how and when and by whom they were cleared,' he said. He accused the Tinubu administration of creating a pattern where investigations into alleged financial crimes disappear before individuals re-emerge in political or public positions, potentially undermining public confidence in the anti-corruption campaign.
2027 Election as Referendum
The ADC argued that the controversy surrounding the campaign council would not determine the 2027 election outcome, asserting the poll would be an assessment of the Tinubu administration's performance. 'For emphasis, the 2027 election will be a referendum on President Tinubu's record,' the statement said. 'The President may assemble his old friends and political allies, including those carrying unresolved corruption questions, but all of their collective brooms cannot sweep away the grave pains they have brought on the Nigerian people.'
The party accused the administration of failing to address rising living costs and poverty while privileges accrued to those close to government. 'For three years, they have told Nigerians who can barely afford food to tighten their belts, while those connected to the government continue to live in obscene opulence, feeding fat on the common wealth. The time for reckoning has come,' Mr Abdullahi said.
Atiku's Subsidy Proposal Defended
Mr Abdullahi also defended Atiku's proposal to restore a form of petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027. Atiku recently said in an interview that he would restore the subsidy and ensure that individuals who diverted public funds meant for the scheme returned the money. The proposal drew criticism from the presidency and APC, with Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga describing it as a 'volte-face' and accusing Atiku of being desperate for power. The APC also accused Atiku of abandoning his previous position in support of subsidy removal, calling him 'clueless and out of touch with Nigeria's economic realities.'
Mr Abdullahi said the criticism failed to address the hardship faced by Nigerians. The ADC proposed not a return to the former subsidy system but a 'targeted, capped, budgeted and independently audited subsidy intervention' aimed at reducing fuel production costs and consumer prices. 'We reinstate our commitment to subsidise production of fuel as a way of bringing down the pump price of fuel and the general cost of living in the country,' he said.
The ADC argued that the government's claim that Nigeria could not afford such intervention was difficult to reconcile with wasteful government spending. 'What we understand the APC government to be saying is that Nigeria cannot afford to protect struggling families,' Mr Abdullahi said. 'They are saying that a government that has continued to engage in monumental waste of resources cannot afford to help poor Nigerians who are merely struggling to survive.'
The party said its proposed intervention would differ from the pre-2023 subsidy arrangement, supporting mechanisms to ensure public money is tracked and independently audited. 'Our proposal is straightforward: every naira must be traceable and every barrel accounted for,' he said. He challenged Mr Tinubu to account for the cost of his administration's economic policies, stating, 'Before President Tinubu lectures Nigerians about the cost of helping them, he should account for the cost of his own government's wrong-headed policy that has turned state governors into wastrels and federal agents into profligates.'
