Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) has stoutly defended the inclusion of Beta Edu, former Humanitarian Affairs Minister, in President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign council, arguing that an ongoing EFCC investigation does not automatically estopped anyone from playing politics.
Wike made the argument during his media parley on Wednesday during which 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.
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.
