The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council of becoming a rehabilitation centre for former government officials facing unresolved corruption allegations.

The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, questioned the inclusion of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu and former Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ngozi Olejeme, among those associated with the President’s campaign.

Abdullahi demanded that the Federal Government explain whether the corruption-related cases involving the two former officials and others had been concluded and, if so, disclose how and by whom they were cleared.

The party specifically cited Edu’s suspension by President Tinubu following controversy over an attempted transfer of N585 million into a private account, as well as Olejeme’s prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial malpractices.

According to the ADC, the inclusion of such individuals in the campaign structure raises questions about the administration’s commitment to accountability.

“If they have been cleared, the government should show how and when and by whom they were cleared,” the party said, alleging that investigations into financial crimes under the administration had, in some cases, “quietly disappeared,” only for those accused to later resurface in other official capacities.

The opposition party also dismissed the prospect of the APC campaign council being able to persuade Nigerians to overlook the economic hardship confronting the country.

It argued that the 2027 election would effectively serve as a referendum on the performance of the Tinubu administration over its first three years in office.

The ADC maintained that the campaign council could not “campaign away” the rising cost of living, poverty and other economic challenges which it attributed to the policies of the administration.

On fuel pricing, the party reaffirmed its proposal for a targeted, capped, budgeted and independently audited subsidy intervention aimed at reducing the pump price of petrol and easing the cost of living.

The ADC said government-backed criticism of the proposal, based on the argument that Nigeria could not afford fuel subsidies, amounted to an unwillingness to assist struggling households.

It challenged the administration to account for what it described as “monumental waste of resources” and questioned the cost of policies it said had worsened economic hardship.

The party said its proposed intervention would be based on strict accountability, insisting that “every naira must be traceable and every barrel accounted for.”

The ADC urged the President to account for the financial implications of his administration’s policies before telling Nigerians that the country could not afford measures designed to cushion the impact of rising living costs.