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By: (I.T) Martins Adesida
Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has defended the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, in the campaign structure for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Wike argued that an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission does not, by itself, prevent an individual from participating in political activities or canvassing votes for a candidate.
The minister made the remarks during a media parley he hosted on Wednesday, which was aired by Channels Television.
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His comments followed controversy over Edu’s appointment as Director of Women Mobilisation in the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council.
Edu was suspended by President Tinubu in January 2024 following allegations of financial impropriety and was subsequently investigated by the EFCC. However, she has not been publicly found guilty of any offence arising from the investigation.
Questioning what he described as inconsistency in the criticism surrounding Edu’s inclusion, Wike said a person being investigated but not convicted should not automatically be excluded from political participation.
Wike also pointed to instances in which individuals facing criminal allegations had participated in elections and subsequently held public office.
He further argued that even a person serving a prison sentence could potentially express political support for a candidate by encouraging others to vote for that candidate.
The minister also criticised reactions to the participation of individuals accused of serious offences in political campaigns, insisting that an allegation or investigation should not automatically be treated as a conviction.
The controversy over Edu’s role in the campaign structure had earlier prompted an APC campaign council spokesperson, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, to defend her inclusion.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Asekun-Shittu said Edu had not been found guilty of any offence and argued that it would be unfair to prevent her from participating in political activities while the EFCC matter remained unresolved.
She described the campaign council as an internal party structure and said the APC had the authority to determine who would serve on it.
However, she noted that the campaign list was not necessarily final and could still be reviewed.
Edu’s inclusion has continued to generate public debate, particularly because of the EFCC investigation. Nevertheless, the existence of an investigation does not in itself establish criminal guilt, and no public conviction against Edu has been reported in connection with the matter.
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