ADC Slams Tinubu Campaign Council as Rehabilitation Centre for Corruption Suspects
Abuja, August 22, 2026 — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Saturday described President Bola Tinubu’s newly unveiled 2027 presidential campaign council as a “rehabilitation centre for corruption suspects,” criticizing the inclusion of individuals facing unresolved questions of public accountability.
In a strongly worded press statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party specifically highlighted the appointments of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu and former Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Chairman Ngozi Olejeme.
Edu was named Director of Women Mobilization on the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council, while Olejeme was appointed Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination and Mobilization in the South-South.
The council, chaired by President Tinubu himself, has former Zamfara Governor Senator Abdulaziz Yari as Director-General and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as Secretary.
Unresolved Allegations Raise Questions
The ADC recalled that Edu was suspended by President Tinubu in January 2024 following controversy over an attempted transfer of N585 million into a private account.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was directed to investigate the matter, but the party noted that the status of the probe remains unclear more than two years later.
Olejeme, the statement added, has faced EFCC prosecution over allegations of financial malpractices.
The opposition party demanded transparency: “If they have been cleared, the government should show how and when and by whom they were cleared.”
ADC accused the administration of a familiar pattern in which investigations into financial crimes “quietly disappear” only for the accused to reappear in new official or political roles.
“Under this government, corruption allegations increasingly appear to have an expiry date. Once a person becomes politically useful enough, yesterday’s questions apparently no longer require today’s answers,” the statement read.
2027 as Referendum on Performance
Beyond the appointments, the ADC framed the 2027 general election as a referendum on President Tinubu’s three-year record rather than a mere contest of personalities.
The party argued that no amount of political mobilization could erase the “grave pains” of the cost-of-living crisis and endemic poverty that it attributes to government policies.
“For three years, they have told Nigerians who can barely afford food to tighten their belts, while those connected to the government continue to live in obscene opulence,” Abdullahi stated.
ADC Reaffirms Fuel Subsidy Proposal
The party also restated its commitment to a targeted, capped, budgeted, and independently audited subsidy intervention on fuel production as a means of reducing pump prices and easing the broader cost of living.
It dismissed government criticisms of the proposal as an admission that the administration prioritizes other expenditures over support for struggling families.
“Our proposal is straightforward: every naira must be traceable and every barrel accounted for,” the ADC said, challenging the Tinubu government to first account for what it described as wasteful spending before lecturing Nigerians on affordability.
As the APC begins formal preparations for the 2027 polls with a broad-based campaign structure, the ADC’s critique signals the sharp political contestation expected in the months ahead.
Neither the Presidency nor the APC had issued an immediate response to the opposition’s statement as of Saturday evening.
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