Betta Edu: EFCC Investigation Does Not Stop Anyone From Campaigning For Tinubu – Wike

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has declared that no law prevents a person under investigation from canvassing for votes.

According to him, being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is not tantamount to being automatically guilty.

Naija News reports that Wike made the submission on Wednesday while defending the composition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign team for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

The former Rivers State Governor accused the media and the general public of double standards in scrutinising people involved in political campaigns, noting that a person facing an EFCC investigation but not charged to court could still participate in political activities.

“You (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.

“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 queried.

Naija News reports that the Minister spoke against the public criticism that has followed the inclusion of Betta Edu in the campaign structure for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Edu was listed as Director of Women Mobilisation in the APC Presidential Campaign Council. She was suspended by Tinubu in January 2024 following allegations of financial misappropriation and was subsequently investigated by the EFCC, but is yet to be publicly declared guilty of any offence in relation to the EFCC investigation.

In defending her inclusion, Wike argued that people facing criminal allegations had contested elections in Nigeria and won.

Citing an unnamed person, Wike said he contested and won a governorship election while facing an EFCC case.

“This person had an EFCC case in court, charged to court. He contested an election and became a Governor,” he said.

Wike further argued that even a person serving a prison sentence could canvass votes for a 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 vote,” he said.

The Minister also made reference to an unnamed person who he said had been alleged to be involved in a coup in Nigeria, saying the person had also canvassed votes for a candidate.

“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, cannot be a member of the campaign council to campaign for votes,” Wike argued.