House Members Fault APC Campaign Council Composition

• Say inclusion of defence ministers, tax, budget chiefs in ruling party’s campaign dangerous

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Concerned lawmakers under the auspices of Save Democracy Group have expressed grave concern over the composition of the recently announced All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 presidential election.

The concerned lawmakers, a bipartisan platform of members of the 10th House of Representatives in a statement issued Tuesday and jointly signed by the leader of the group, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante (NDC, Rivers), Hon. Abubakar Kusada (APC, Katsina) and Hon. Mansur Jega (ADC, Kebbi) decried the involvement of the two senior political heads of the Ministry of Defence in the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

The group said while it recognised the constitutional and democratic right of every political party and citizen to participate in political activities and campaigns, there must be a clear and unmistakable distinction between the machinery of government and the machinery of a political party.

It noted that this creates an obvious institutional conflict and raises concerns about the perceived political neutrality of the national defence establishment.

The lawmakers maintained that the composition of the campaign council raised serious questions about the politicisation of public institutions that are constitutionally and administratively expected to serve the Nigerian state impartially.

They noted: “The Minister of Defence and the Minister of State for Defence occupy offices with direct responsibility for national defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“Their participation in the campaign machinery creates a serious and unacceptable appearance that the nation’s defence establishment is being drawn into partisan political activity.

“The issue is not whether Ministers have political rights. They do. The issue is whether officials responsible for the nation’s defence architecture should simultaneously occupy senior positions in a campaign structure.

“The Nigerian military belongs to the Nigerian state, not to the ruling political party.”

The group pointed out that Nigeria is confronting persistent terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other serious security threats, arguing that the nation’s defence leadership should remain focused on its constitutional and national responsibilities of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.

“The defence establishment must not only remain politically neutral; it must be seen to remain politically neutral,” it stated.

The lawmakers further demanded that the President and the Ministers of Defence ensure that partisan political activities do not compromise or create the perception of compromising the neutrality and professionalism of the Armed Forces.

The group also raised concerns over the inclusion of the country’s chief tax authority, Zacch Adedeji in the campaign structure, particularly in the fundraising architecture of the campaign council.

It stressed that his inclusion raised a fundamental question of conflict of interest.

It insisted that the nation’s tax administration must operate impartially and professionally and “must never be perceived as an instrument for financing, facilitating or advancing the electoral interests of the governing party.”

It said Nigerian taxpayers, irrespective of political affiliation, are entitled to confidence that the tax system is administered fairly and without political discrimination.

The group said the concern was particularly significant at a time when Nigeria is implementing a new and complex tax framework.

“The Tax Chief should be focused on ensuring the effective implementation of the country’s tax administration reforms, improving compliance, strengthening revenue mobilisation and maintaining public confidence in the tax system,” it said.

It added that the involvement of the nation’s chief tax administrator in partisan fundraising creates “an avoidable perception that must be addressed.”

The group expressed concern about the potential for public resources, official influence, institutional access or government machinery to become indirectly connected with partisan political fundraising.

“Public revenue must never become campaign funds,” it said.

The Save Democracy Group further expressed concern over the inclusion of the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation in the campaign structure, serving as Secretary Finance/Treasurer of the Campaign Council.

It noted that the office is responsible for supporting transparent, credible and technically sound budget preparation and implementation.

It said: “The Budget Office occupies a critical position in Nigeria’s public financial management architecture.

“The Budget Office and its leadership must therefore maintain public confidence in their independence, professionalism and impartiality.

“The officer responsible for helping to design and manage the nation’s budget should not simultaneously be seen as an officer responsible for managing the finances of a political campaign.”

It said the two responsibilities create an avoidable conflict of institutional perception that should never have arisen.

The concerned lawmakers stressed that the issue goes beyond the APC and concerns the integrity of the Nigerian state.

“When senior officials responsible for defence, taxation, budgeting and other sensitive national institutions simultaneously become campaign operatives, the boundary between government and party becomes dangerously blurred,” it added.

The group said all serving public officers heading or occupying sensitive national institutions should immediately withdraw from the APC Presidential Campaign Council and concentrate fully on the public responsibilities entrusted to them.

“Alternatively, any such officer who wishes to assume an active partisan campaign responsibility should first relinquish the relevant public office,” it said.

The lawmakers stated categorically that a person should not simultaneously serve as a senior custodian of the Nigerian state and as an active financial or political operative of a presidential campaign.