ADC: Tinubu’s 2027 campaign council shields corruption suspects

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s emerging 2027 presidential campaign council, describing it as a “rehabilitation centre” for individuals facing unresolved corruption allegations.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, questioned the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, and former Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Ngozi Olejeme, in the campaign structure.

Edu was suspended by President Tinubu in 2024 following controversy over an alleged directive to transfer N585 million in public funds to a private account. Olejeme, meanwhile, has faced prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged financial offences.

The ADC challenged the Federal Government to disclose whether the cases involving the two former officials and other individuals named in the campaign council had been resolved.

“If they have been cleared, the government should show how and when and by whom they were cleared,” Abdullahi said.

The opposition party alleged that corruption investigations involving politically connected individuals under the Tinubu administration were often allowed to fade from public attention before the individuals resurfaced in political or official positions.

The ADC also argued that the 2027 election would serve as a referendum on Tinubu’s first-term performance, saying the President’s political allies could not campaign their way out of the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.

“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 said.

The party cited rising food prices, poverty and the cost of living as some of the challenges facing Nigerians, while accusing politically connected individuals of enjoying what it described as “obscene opulence.”

The ADC also renewed its call for targeted fuel-production subsidies, saying the measure could help reduce petrol prices and ease pressure on households and businesses.

It said its proposed subsidy framework would be capped, budgeted and independently audited, with mechanisms to ensure that public funds and crude allocations were traceable.

Responding to the Federal Government’s criticism of the proposal, the party said the administration should account for the consequences of its economic policies before arguing that the country could not afford to support struggling Nigerians.

The party described the proposal as part of the “Atiku solution” to addressing Nigeria’s economic hardship.