African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the composition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 campaign council, describing it as a platform that accommodates individuals with unresolved corruption allegations rather than a conventional political campaign team.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party questioned the inclusion of some former public office holders who had previously been linked to corruption investigations.
The party specifically referenced former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, who was suspended following the controversy surrounding the attempted transfer of N585 million into a private account, and former Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ngozi Olejeme, who has faced prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial misconduct.
According to the ADC, the appointments raise fresh concerns about the status of the cases involving the affected individuals.
“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.”
The party further stated:
“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.”
The ADC alleged that under the current administration, investigations into financial crimes often fade from public attention before the accused return to public office or political relevance.
“It has become a familiar pattern under this administration for investigations into financial crimes to quietly disappear only for the accused to suddenly reappear in a different official role.
“Under this government, corruption allegations increasingly appear to have an expiry date. Once a person becomes politically useful enough, yesterday’s questions apparently no longer require today’s answers.”
2027 Election a Referendum on Tinubu’s Record
The opposition party also argued that the 2027 general election would serve as a verdict on President Tinubu’s performance in office, insisting that Nigerians would judge the administration based on prevailing economic conditions.
“For emphasis, the 2027 election will be a referendum on President Tinubu’s record. 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 ADC maintained that the administration would not be able to campaign away the challenges facing Nigerians.
“They cannot campaign away the cost of living crisis or the endemic poverty that their bad policies have created.
“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.”
ADC Defends Atiku’s Fuel Subsidy Proposal
The party also used the statement to defend what it described as its fuel subsidy proposal, saying it remains committed to subsidising fuel production to reduce pump prices and ease the rising cost of living.
“We reinstate our commitment to subidise production of fuel as a way of bringing down the pump price of fuel and the general cost of living in the country.”
The ADC dismissed criticism from government supporters who argued that Nigeria could no longer afford subsidy interventions.
“We have observed the flurry of government sponsored attacks on our proposal for a targeted, capped, budgeted and independently audited subsidy intervention on the grounds that Nigeria cannot afford it.”
According to the party, the government’s position suggests that it is unwilling to provide relief for struggling Nigerians despite what it described as wasteful public spending.
“However, what we understand the APC government to be saying is that Nigeria cannot afford to protect struggling families. 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 statement concluded by insisting that any subsidy programme proposed by the ADC would be transparent and accountable.
“Our proposal is straightforward: every naira must be traceable and every barrel accounted for. 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.”