FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has defended the decision to include former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu in President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign structure, arguing that an ongoing EFCC investigation does not automatically stop anyone from taking part in politics.
Wike made the argument during a media parley on Wednesday, where he questioned the criticism surrounding the inclusion of people facing investigations in political campaign teams.
The former Rivers State governor said there was a difference between being investigated by an anti-graft agency and being found guilty of an offence, stressing that an investigation alone should not be treated as a conviction.
His comments followed controversy over Edu’s appointment as Director of Women Mobilisation in the APC presidential campaign council for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Edu was suspended by President Tinubu in 2024 following allegations of financial impropriety and was subsequently investigated by the EFCC, but she has not been convicted of any offence in connection with the matter.
Wike argued that political participation should not automatically be taken away from a person simply because an investigation is ongoing, especially where the individual has not been convicted by a court.
He questioned the logic of allowing someone facing an EFCC case to contest an election while arguing that the same person should not be allowed to support another candidate during an election campaign.
The minister also pointed to situations where people facing criminal allegations have remained active in politics, saying the existence of an allegation does not by itself remove a person’s political rights.
Wike went further by arguing that even someone serving a prison sentence could still express support for a political candidate, using the example to illustrate his point that political support and legal status are separate issues.
His position comes as political parties begin building structures ahead of the 2027 general elections, with campaign appointments already generating debate among politicians and members of the public.
An APC campaign council spokesperson, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, had earlier defended Edu’s inclusion, saying the former minister had not been found guilty and should not be expected to put her political life on hold indefinitely while an investigation remains unresolved.
Asekun-Shittu also described the campaign council as an internal party arrangement, arguing that the APC has the right to determine who participates in its campaign activities.
She, however, noted that the campaign list was not necessarily final and could still be reviewed by the party.
The controversy has once again raised questions about how political parties should treat members who are under investigation by anti-corruption agencies but have not been convicted.
For Wike, the key issue is that an investigation should not automatically become a punishment, particularly when no court has established that the person committed the alleged offence.
His comments are likely to keep the debate alive as the 2027 political season gradually gathers momentum, with questions about the balance between political participation, public accountability and unresolved corruption investigations expected to remain part of the conversation.