Nigerians question inclusion of persons facing corruption charges
* Membership raises issues about fight against corruption, says ex-Minister
* Onoh, Kwankwaso fault membership, Melaye threatens court action
* Party debunks withdrawal reports
By Oscar Chukwugekwu And Ahmed Akanbi
The last may not have been heard about the membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Presidential Campaign Council released last week. The council is expected to coordinate the reelection campaign of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
While some Nigerians applaud the composition of the membership, other fault the list questioning the inclusion of persons facing corruption charges in courts
On monday, there were rumours that the list had been withdrawn by President Tinubu with the purpose of fine-tuning its membership. There are, however, indications that the adjustments will not affect its Director-General and Secretary.
But the APC had dismissed reports that it withdrew the list describing the it as false.
National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said on Tuesday that the party has not withdrawn the list and that any changes would be communicated officially.
“It’s rumour. If there is any change to the list, it will be formally announced,” Morka clarified.
The clarification followed reports circulating on social media and in some media outlets that the APC had pulled down the campaign council list released as part of early preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The release sparked reactions within the party, with some stakeholders raising concerns over the inclusion and exclusion of certain names.
The development fuelled speculation that the party was set to review or adjust the campaign structure.
However, according to Morka, the list remains valid, adding that the party would use appropriate channels to announce any alteration to its composition.
Reacting to the list, a former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, raised concerns over the initial composition, saying allegations surrounding some members could undermine public confidence in the ruling party.
Dalung, who spoke on Arise Television on Tuesday, said the credibility of the 2027 electoral process would depend partly on the integrity of individuals selected to campaign for the various presidential candidates.
He said: “The credibility of any transition process begins with nominations of those qualified to contest, and then those that are put forward to solicit support and convince people to support the various candidates.”
He said the APC campaign council list had generated serious concerns, particularly because of allegations previously associated with some of the individuals named.
“Of great concern is the list of people saddled with the responsibilities of campaigning for the various candidates. So far, we have the list of the APC, and it has elicited serious concern by Nigerians looking at the characters that populated that list.
“If you have a campaign council list made up of these personalities, who have corruption hanging on their necks like the sword of Damocles, then you will question what the future looks like
“What type of government are we trying to put in the future, and what will the Bola Ahmed Tinubu government, if elected in 2027, look like?” he asked.
Dalung also faulted the APC for withdrawing the initial list for review, saying the development raised questions about the party’s preparedness.
“They cannot throw a list of very corrupt persons to our face and then turn around to say they are going to review it. This is a vote of no confidence passed on themselves, and I think Nigerians should take note of this” he said.
The former minister rejected suggestions that his criticism was politically motivated, insisting that his position was based on national interest.
“It is not about where you stand,” he said, adding that the issue should be about “the capacity of the government to deliver on its campaign promises.”
Also reacting to the development, former South East spokesman of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Denge Josef Onoh, criticised the 223-member council, urging Tinubu to review its composition.
Onoh, in a memorandum addressed to the President, expressed concern over what he described as the inadequate representation of major APC stakeholders and loyalists from the South-East in the campaign structure.
He argued that the composition of the council could affect the party’s mobilisation efforts in the region ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to him, the 2023 presidential campaign structure was more inclusive and provided opportunities for regional stakeholders and grassroots mobilisers who contributed to the party’s campaign.
Onoh alleged that the latest structure had not given sufficient consideration to some of the party’s longstanding supporters in the South East.
He also raised concerns about the representation of the region in key operational, policy and management directorates of the campaign council, saying broader inclusion was necessary to give stakeholders a sense of ownership.
The former campaign spokesman also criticised the communication structure of the campaign council, arguing that the media team required experienced political communicators capable of responding effectively to the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
“With the strict exception of only two persons who possess genuine fire and strategic depth, the current media team completely lacks the political tenacity and intellectual grit to face the opposition’s sophisticated PR machinery,” Onoh said.
He warned that the exclusion of experienced campaigners and media operatives could create vulnerabilities for the APC and make it easier for opposition parties to gain political advantage.
Onoh consequently urged Tinubu to order a comprehensive review of the 223-member campaign council, with particular attention to geopolitical balance and the inclusion of established party leaders and grassroots mobilisers.
He also called for a review of the campaign’s media structure to accommodate what he described as politically experienced and resilient communicators.
Onoh further urged the President to ensure that party stakeholders across the country were given a sense of ownership of the re-election campaign.
“Mr President, do not let the short-sighted selfishness of a few handlers ruin the future of your administration. You cannot win a national re-election by shrinking your support base and telling an entire region they have no stake in your campaign,” he said.
He argued that broader representation and effective coordination would be critical to the APC’s efforts to retain the presidency in 2027.
The Vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, while reacting to the constituted council, said Nigerians deserved a “new direction” rather than continuation of what he described as a system that had subjected citizens to severe hardship.
He noted that the composition of the campaign council, which includes several political actors associated with the present administration, offered Nigerians a clear picture of the choice before them in the 2027 election.
He said, “The council brings together many of the same political actors who have supported, defended or participated in the present administration.
“Their coming together raises a fundamental question: what exactly are they asking Nigerians to vote for in 2027, a new beginning, or the continuation of the same system that has brought severe hardship to our people?”
The former Governor of Kano State said the country was facing widespread economic and social challenges, including rising food prices, unemployment, insecurity and pressure on essential public services.
Kwankwaso also appealed to former Zamfara State governor, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, to reconsider his decision to serve as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
He said Yari, as a former governor and prominent North West politician, understood the impact of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, displacement and destruction of livelihoods on the people.
“I will be surprised, if, in his good conscience, he will lead a campaign whose principal objective is to secure the continuation of a government under which many of the people he once governed, and other innocent Nigerians, remain trapped in these challenges,” Kwankwaso said.
He also questioned the involvement of senior officials of critical public institutions in the APC campaign’s fundraising and finance structures.
Kwankwaso specifically mentioned the NRS Chairman, Adedeji, and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Dr Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi.
He argued that the leadership of critical public institutions required neutrality, integrity and public confidence.
According to him, the government and the APC should explain how the participation of senior officials responsible for public revenue and national finances in partisan campaign structures is consistent with institutional neutrality and public trust.
Former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, also said he was planning to take the APC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council to court due to a conflict of interest about Adedeji’s role in the council.
He also challenged Tinubu’s decision to chair his own presidential campaign council.
“You are serving as the country’s Chairman of Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), formally known as FIRS (Federal Inland Revenue Service). Is there no conflict in this? As a lawyer, by the grace of God, on Monday, I’m going to court. We have to test that,” Melaye said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, said he would not allow the security of the country to suffer while discharging his duty as a member of the campaign council that was recently constituted.
The Minister, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, via a statement, described his inclusion as a call to higher service.
Accepting the appointment, the Defence Minister promised to execute the strategic tasks of the office with diligence, administrative rigour, and single-minded focus to guarantee party victory.
“National security remains our highest imperative. The ongoing operations, strategic reforms, and inter-agency collaborations across the defence sector will continue unabated with increased vigour.
“Our resolve to uphold the mandate of the Ministry of Defence, protect our people, and drive Mr President’s vision for a safe and prosperous Nigeria remains firm and unshakeable,” Musa said.
He, however, called on party members and all patriotic citizens to remain united behind the administration, expressing absolute confidence that the APC will achieve success at the polls while continuing to deliver robust governance and security for the nation.