FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has defended the inclusion of a person under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in President Bola Tinubu’s campaign team, arguing that an investigation does not bar anyone from canvassing votes.
Wike commented on Wednesday during a media parley he hosted, aired by Channels Television.
The former Rivers State governor questioned what he described as a double standard in the scrutiny of individuals involved in political campaigns.

He argued that a person being investigated by the EFCC, but who had not been charged before a court, remained free to participate in political activities.
Wike said an ongoing investigation should not, in itself, be treated as evidence of guilt or grounds for excluding an individual from supporting a political candidate.

“You (media) were asking the moral justification of putting someone who has an EFCC case to be in a campaign council. And I was just watching the lady. The lady doesn’t even know what to say,” Wike said.
“Now, somebody cannot be in a campaign to canvass for votes for a particular person, but somebody who has an EFCC case can contest an election and win an election?”

“This person had an EFCC case in court, charged to court. He contested an election and became a Governor,” he said without mentioning any name.

Wike further argued that even a person serving a prison sentence could canvass votes for a candidate.
“Listen. Even a prisoner… maybe they have somebody in prison. I go and visit the person. The person can tell me, ‘My brother, I want you to support so-and-so candidate.’ A prisoner has canvassed for a vote.”

Wike also referred to an unnamed individual who, he said, had been accused of involvement in an alleged coup in Nigeria but had nevertheless gone on to canvass votes for a political candidate.

“I was watching Channels, who came up to say, ‘Ah, how can somebody who’s being looked for as a coup plotter is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so government?’ Somebody EFCC is looking for is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so person.
“But… a party, or a candidate, cannot, simply because EFCC is investigating the person, be a member of the campaign council to campaign for votes.”