The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it is reviewing the inclusion of the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, and the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Bisoye Coker-Odusote, in its Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections amid concerns over whether serving public officials are permitted to participate in partisan political activities.
The development has triggered fresh scrutiny of the ruling party’s campaign council, particularly because the two officials head strategic government institutions responsible for critical national functions involving public revenue and identity data.
Adedeji heads the NRS, the government agency responsible for the administration and collection of federal tax revenue, while Coker-Odusote heads NIMC, the institution responsible for Nigeria’s national identity management system.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, disclosed the development on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief while responding to questions about the composition of the party’s campaign council ahead of the 2027 elections.
The interviewer had questioned whether serving officials such as Adedeji and Coker-Odusote could participate in partisan political activities, given applicable civil service rules and regulations.
Asekun-Shittu said the campaign council list was not final and that the APC leadership was still deliberating on the concerns surrounding the inclusion of the two officials.
“With regards to the other names, Mr. Adedeji and the NIMC boss, the list is not yet final. Should we, as a party, believe in the rule of law? There is a lot of deliberation still going on,” she said.
She added that the party would take appropriate action if it was established that the officials were not permitted to participate in partisan political activities while holding their current government positions.
“If it is found out that they are not allowed to play in that turf, I believe that the needful will be done,” she said.
The spokesperson further disclosed that the APC leadership and the Presidential Campaign Council were examining the list.
“For now, I do know that the leadership of the party and the presidential campaign council are looking into that list,” she explained.
The controversy is particularly significant because of the strategic nature of the institutions headed by the two officials.
The NRS plays a central role in Nigeria’s revenue administration, while NIMC oversees the country’s national identity database and the issuance and management of the National Identification Number (NIN), making concerns about political neutrality and public trust especially sensitive.
The campaign council has also appointed Tanimu Yakubu, Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, as Secretary, Finance/Treasurer, further drawing attention to the participation of serving government officials in the ruling party’s political structure.
The composition of the campaign council has also generated controversy over the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
Edu, who was suspended by President Bola Tinubu in January 2024 over allegations surrounding a proposed N585 million payment involving her ministry, was also named on the campaign council list.
Defending Edu’s inclusion, Asekun-Shittu said the former minister had not been found guilty of any offence and should not be prevented from participating in politics while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s investigation remained unresolved.
“Well, I don’t want to take the case on. I don’t want to take the names on a case-by-case basis. However, I’d like to say that for Betta Edu, for example, she has not been found guilty,” she said.
The APC spokesperson maintained that Edu deserved an opportunity to participate in political activities while awaiting the outcome of the investigation.
The EFCC investigation followed Tinubu’s suspension of Edu after a leaked memo showed a proposed N585 million transfer to a private bank account in connection with grants for vulnerable groups.
Edu denied wrongdoing and has previously denied any link to funds later reported by the EFCC as recovered during its broader investigation into the humanitarian ministry.
The differing circumstances surrounding Edu’s inclusion and the concerns over serving public officials have intensified scrutiny of the APC’s campaign council.
Critics have questioned whether officials occupying sensitive government positions should simultaneously hold senior roles in a partisan political campaign, particularly where their official responsibilities involve public finances, government data or other sensitive national functions.
Earlier, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) called for the resignation of Coker-Odusote over her reported appointment as Director of Data Management in the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued on Saturday, CITAD expressed concern that Coker-Odusote’s simultaneous role as head of Nigeria’s national identity management institution and a senior data official for a partisan political campaign could create a conflict of interest.
The organisation also warned that the arrangement could undermine public confidence in the political neutrality of NIMC, particularly because of the sensitive nature of the identity and demographic information managed by the commission.
With the APC now reviewing the appointments, the final status of Adedeji and Coker-Odusote in the 2027 Presidential Campaign Council remains uncertain.
The party has, however, indicated that if applicable rules prohibit the two serving officials from participating in partisan political activities, it may remove them from the campaign council.
The controversy comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections and as questions continue to emerge over the boundary between holding sensitive public office and participating in partisan political activities.