Key Takeaways:
- The APC defended naming former Humanitarian Affairs minister, Betta Edu, as Director of Women Mobilisation in Tinubu’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, saying she can participate politically.
- APC campaign spokesperson, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, said on Channels TV on Monday that Edu has no conviction, despite her January 2024 suspension and EFCC investigation.
- Asekun-Shittu said the campaign council list is still being finalised and the APC will remove any unsuitable names to comply with existing laws and regulations.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has justified 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.
Egalitarian Voice reports that the ruling party said the former minister remains entitled to participate in political activities because she has not been convicted of any offence.
The party’s position was made known on Monday by one of the spokespersons of the APC campaign committee, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief.
Edu’s inclusion in the campaign council has generated controversy, particularly because she was suspended from office by Tinubu in January 2024 over allegations of financial impropriety and was subsequently investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Defending the former minister’s role in the campaign organisation, Asekun-Shittu argued that it would be unjust to prevent Edu from pursuing her political career simply because an investigation against her had yet to be concluded.
She stressed that an allegation or ongoing investigation did not amount to a conviction, adding that Edu should be allowed to continue with her political activities while awaiting the outcome of the EFCC process.
Asekun-Shittu, “I’d like to say that for Betta Edu, for example, she has not been found guilty. And it would be unfair to ask her to leave her life or refuse to live until the EFCC declares her. We believe that there is a very likely issue that she may not be found guilty.
“But besides that, we also know that with politics, every Nigerian is allowed to be a politician if they choose to be. And we do not believe that we should then hold her life still or keep her stagnant until the case is decided. It’s been almost two years of that case.
“She does deserve an opportunity to present herself again for the party.”
The spokesperson was also questioned on the propriety of giving Edu a prominent position in the campaign council after her removal from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) over allegations involving public funds.
While acknowledging the concerns, Asekun-Shittu maintained that the campaign council was an internal structure of the APC and that the party was free to determine who it considered capable of contributing to its electoral campaign.
Asekun-Shittu further stated, “I do understand. There is no report. I also need you to see it from this angle. The fact that it’s an internal party affair. If we decide that she’s going to be useful and be able to work on behalf of the party, she does have a right. It’s not a public thing.
“She was alleged to have misappropriated public funds. That matter is still with the EFCC. It is being handled. She has not been proclaimed guilty and deserves an opportunity to continue to live her life. That is what we are saying.”
Edu was named as the Director of Women Mobilisation in the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
Her inclusion is among several appointments that have attracted public attention, with the names of the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NIRS), Zacch Adedeji; the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Taminu Yakubu; and the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Bisoye Coker-Odusote, also featuring on the list.
However, Asekun-Shittu said the campaign council was still being finalised and that the party could make changes where necessary.
“With regards to the other names you have mentioned, the list is not yet final. There is a lot of deliberation still going on. If it is found out that they are not allowed to play in that turf, I believe that the needful will be done,” she said.
She assured that the APC would respect existing laws and regulations, adding that any name found to be unsuitable for the campaign structure would be removed where necessary.
