Afenifere, NUJ scribe differ as Melaye vows to sue Adedeji

The composition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general election has continued to elicit a mixture of criticism and commendation, amid fresh debate over the propriety of including public officers in a partisan panel.

The National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Kole Omololu, and the National Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Achike Chude, disagreed on the composition of the committee.

However, a female politician in Rivers State and Coordinator of the Coalition of Ogoni Women, Patience Osaroejiji, described the large number of members as a sign of panic on the part of the President, who, she alleged, was aware that Nigerians were dissatisfied with his administration and could make a strong decision at the polls.

Meanwhile, former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, vowed to challenge the appointment of the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, to the APC Campaign Council in court.

The Presidency, in a statement released by its spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, announced the composition of the campaign organisation, including Adedeji and former Humanitarian Minister, Dr Betta Edu, who was relieved of her position on alleged misappropriation of funds.

Stakeholders raised the alarm that the ruling party was not circumspect in the composition of the campaign committee, particularly in the inclusion of Adedeji as Deputy Director of Fundraising in Tinubu’s presidential campaign council.

The controversies swell against the backdrop of wider concerns about the structure of the campaign council, in which Tinubu is chairman, while Vice President Kashim Shettima is his Vice. APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, is Vice Chairman II. Former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, is Director-General, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma is Secretary. Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun is Director of Fundraising, with Adedeji listed as his deputy.

Adedeji’s appointment attracted outrage because the NRS is responsible for collecting federal revenue, even as the ruling party engaged him in mobilising financial support for the re-election of Tinubu.

Melaye has described the arrangement as a potential conflict of interest and questioned the propriety of having the head of the country’s revenue-collection agency simultaneously serve as a senior fundraiser for a partisan presidential campaign, contending that Adedeji is constrained by Public Service Rules and ethics.

In a post on his official X account on Sunday, the former Kogi senator threatened to drag APC, Adedeji and the Federal Government to court, stressing that going by the ethics of the public service, the NRS boss should not combine his official responsibilities with an operational role in a partisan political campaign.

For Edu, the opposition politicians wondered why the Federal Government that removed her on claims of corrupt practices should bring her back through the back door without any official report of her innocence or otherwise.

The imputation of corruption is significant because although Adedeji has not been accused of diverting public funds or abusing his office, his appointment raises questions about the appearance of institutional neutrality.

Concerns are mounting because fundraising inevitably involves interaction with individuals, businesses and organisations with interests in government policy, taxation, regulation and public administration.

While Omololu defended Tinubu’s right to select anyone he considers capable of helping the party win the 2027 election, Chude expressed concern over the inclusion of serving public officials, arguing that it could blur the line between governance and partisan politics.

Omololu, while reacting to concerns raised by Melaye over the committee’s composition, described the criticism as a sign of panic within the opposition ahead of the election.

He said the President, as the APC presidential candidate, was entitled to choose individuals he believed could contribute to his campaign strategy.

On Adedeji, the President, according to Omololu, might be seeking to apply administrative experience to campaign strategy.

He also rejected arguments that the inclusion of people facing allegations of corruption amounted to an endorsement of wrongdoing, insisting that allegations did not constitute conviction.

He, therefore, urged critics to focus on the electoral contest rather than equating the campaign structure with the size of a possible future cabinet.

However, Chude, speaking in his personal capacity, raised concerns about the growing involvement of serving governors and other public officials in partisan mobilisation.

He said political parties were free to constitute campaign committees, but serving officials were primarily expected to serve the state and should not allow partisan interests to compromise public institutions.

“When you begin to see governors becoming partisan, that tells you something about the institutions of the state and public officials. They are supposed to owe their loyalty to the state,” he said.

Chude warned that the involvement of government officials in campaign activities could lead to the fusion of government functions with political mobilisation, particularly where public facilities and resources are deployed for partisan purposes.

Amid the threat of court action by the opposition, Senator Suleiman Kawu Sumaila has urged the APC Presidential Campaign Council to acknowledge the economic difficulties facing Nigerians and clearly explain how the government plans to provide relief.

He gave the advice in a goodwill message to Yari and members of the APC campaign team.
ON her part, Osaroejiji said Nigerians had become tired of “political manoeuvring” during elections, adding that the developments had eroded public confidence in the electoral process.

“At this point, I must say that we are tired of the system and the elections because, whether a committee is set up or not, whether Nigerians decide to vote according to their wishes, they will still do what they want. This is really sad and discouraging,” she said.

She further described the development as “political corruption” and an attempt to induce people, alleging that politicians were more interested in mobilising individuals who would advance their political interests than in addressing the basic needs of the people.

However, a communication scholar at Bingham University and APC chieftain, Darlington Nwauju, defended the President’s decision to constitute a large number of committees.

Nwauju said there was nothing wrong with the President appointing a large number of people to serve on the committees, particularly when such individuals could contribute to his political aspirations.

On whether the development could affect the effectiveness of the electoral process, Nwauju said Nigeria’s large population made broad-based consultations necessary.

According to him, there was nothing wrong with drawing committee membership from a wide range of people, stressing that the approach could help to accommodate diverse interests.

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Sunday, Ojudu also joined those raising concerns over some of the names contained in the council list, pointing out that some former sinners are also in the list.

According to Ojudu, in the list, there are “saints and former sinners, the tried and the tired, reformers and those still awaiting reform. There are people whose names inspire confidence and others whose names inspire a quick check on one’s wallet.”