Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has defended the inclusion of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu, who is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign team.
Wike argued that being investigated by the anti-graft agency does not prevent an individual from participating in political activities or canvassing votes.
He spoke on Wednesday during a media parley he hosted in Abuja, which was aired on Channels Television.
The former Rivers State governor questioned what he described as a double standard in the scrutiny of individuals involved in political campaigns, arguing that a person under EFCC investigation but not charged with an offence could still participate in political activities.
“You (the media) were asking the moral justification of putting someone who has an EFCC case to be in a campaign council. And I was just watching the lady. The lady doesn’t even know what to say,” Wike said.
He added: “Now, somebody cannot be in a campaign to canvass for votes for a particular person, but somebody who has an EFCC case can contest an election and win an election?”
Wike said there had been instances where individuals facing criminal allegations had contested elections and gone on to win.
“This person had an EFCC case in court, charged to court. He contested an election and became a governor,” he said, without naming the individual.
He further argued that even a person serving a prison sentence could canvass votes for a political candidate.
“Listen. Even a prisoner… maybe they have somebody in prison. I go and visit the person. The person can tell me, ‘My brother, I want you to support so-and-so candidate.’ A prisoner has canvassed for votes,” he said.
Wike also referred to an unnamed individual who he said had been accused of involvement in a coup plot in Nigeria, arguing that the person could still participate in political campaigning.
“I was watching, when Channels, when Sunrise, who came up to say, ‘Ah, how can somebody who’s being looked for as a coup plotter is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so government?’ Somebody EFCC is looking for is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so person.
“But a party, or a candidate, cannot, simply because EFCC is investigating the person, [say the person] cannot be a member of the campaign council to campaign for votes for so-and-so person.”
Wike’s comments followed controversy over the inclusion of Edu in the campaign structure for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Edu was listed as Director of Women Mobilisation in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council. Tinubu suspended her as minister in January 2024 amid allegations of financial impropriety, after which she was investigated by the EFCC.
APC campaign council spokesperson Kemi Asekun-Shittu had defended Edu’s inclusion during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, arguing that the former minister had not been found guilty of any offence.
“I’d like to say that for Betta Edu, for example, she has not been found guilty. And it will be unfair to ask that she leaves her life or refuses to live her life until the EFCC declares her. We believe that there is very likely the 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. 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,” she said.
Asekun-Shittu also argued that the campaign committee was an internal party affair and that the APC had the discretion to determine who would serve on it. She noted, however, that the list was not final and could still be reviewed.
Edu has not been publicly found guilty of any offence in connection with the EFCC investigation.
