The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should not, by itself, prevent anyone from participating in political campaigns or canvassing votes.
Wike stated this on Wednesday during a media parley in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while defending the participation of individuals facing allegations or ongoing investigations in political campaign structures.
His comments followed controversy over the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, in the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign structure for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Edu was listed as Director of Women’s Mobilisation in the APC Presidential Campaign Council. President Tinubu suspended her from office in January 2024 following allegations of financial impropriety, after which she was investigated by the EFCC.
Wike questioned the basis for excluding a person from participating in a political campaign simply because the individual was under investigation, particularly where no conviction had been established.
“You were asking for 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 stated: “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?”
The minister said there had been instances where individuals facing criminal allegations or court cases contested elections and subsequently won.
“This person had an EFCC case and was charged to court. He contested an election and became a governor,” he said, without identifying the individual.
Wike further argued that even a person serving a prison sentence could express political support for a candidate and encourage others to vote for the 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 the so-and-so candidate.’ A prisoner has canvassed for a vote,” he said.
The minister also referred to reports concerning an unnamed individual allegedly linked to a coup plot, questioning criticism over the person’s reported support for a political candidate.
‘I was watching Channels when Sunrise came up to say, “Ah, how can somebody who’s being looked for as a coup plotter be now canvassing for votes for so-and-so government?”‘ “Somewhere EFCC is looking for is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so person,” Wike said.
He maintained that an ongoing investigation should not automatically prevent an individual from supporting a political party or candidate during an election campaign.
“But a party, or a candidate, cannot simply because EFCC is investigating the person cannot be a member of the campaign council to campaign for votes,” he said.
Edu has not been convicted of any offence arising from the EFCC investigation.
