The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council has been turned into a ‘rehabilitation centre for persons facing unresolved corruption questions.’
In a statement, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC National Publicity Secretary, questioned the inclusion of former government officials – Betta Edu and Ngozi Olejeme – calling on the government to disclose whether outstanding corruption cases involving them ‘had been resolved or this appointment is Tinubu’s way of pardoning corrupt officials affiliated with his party.’
ADC argued that most of the individuals in the President’s campaign lack credibility, insisting that the 2027 general election is going to be a referendum on the performance of the President in the last three years.
ADC said the APC-PCC which should ordinarily be a political task team ‘ends up looking like a rehabilitation system for individuals carrying unresolved questions of corruption and public accountability.
‘We note, especially the inclusion of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu, who was suspended by President Tinubu following the controversy surrounding the attempted transfer of N585 million into a private account as well as Former NSITF Chairman Ngozi Olejeme, who has faced EFCC prosecution over allegations of financial malpractices, among others whose name carry pungent odour of corruption.’
The opposition party questions what happened to the cases involving the aforementioned individuals.
‘If they have been cleared, the government should show how and when and by whom they were cleared. 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.’
ADC noted that the APC PCC would not be able to ‘campaign away the cost of living crisis or the endemic poverty that bad policies have created.’
ADC, however, reinstated its commitment to subidize production of fuel as a way of bringing down the pump price of fuel and the general cost of living in the country.
‘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.’
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.
‘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.’