The Good Governance Agenda in Africa (GGAA) has described the opposition’s sustained criticism of Zacch Adedeji’s inclusion in the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council as a misplaced priority that reveals early signs of electoral weakness.
The group noted that the appointment of the Nigeria Revenue Service Chairman as Deputy Director of Fundraising reflects a rational use of proven administrative expertise rather than any breach of public service ethics.
In a statement signed by its convener Dr. Randy Atu on Wednesday, the organisation argued that the intensity of the attacks on Adedeji’s membership has diverted public attention from the substantive issues of economic management, security and service delivery that should define the 2027 contest.
It insisted that experience in revenue mobilisation and fiscal administration is an asset to any serious national campaign and should not be treated as a political liability.
“The opposition’s fixation on Zacch Adedeji’s presence in the campaign council is a classic case of misplaced priority,” said Dr. Atu said.
“When political actors expend more energy questioning the competence of a public officer with a clear record in expanding the tax net and strengthening compliance than they do presenting alternative programmes on inflation, food prices and insecurity, it signals an early admission that they lack confidence in their own electoral prospects.”
Dr. Atu continued: “Adedeji has demonstrated the capacity to mobilise resources for the Nigerian state.
“Deploying that same capacity within a political campaign structure is neither improper nor unprecedented.
“The attempt to stigmatise professional competence as a conflict of interest is itself evidence of strategic panic rather than principled concern for institutional neutrality.
“Public service rules exist to prevent the diversion of state resources and the coercion of citizens for partisan ends.
“They do not, however, strip serving officers of the right to offer strategic advice or to participate in the political process outside the direct use of official facilities and funds.
“The campaign council is a party organ, not an extension of any government agency. Its composition is determined by the candidate’s assessment of the skills required for national mobilisation.
“Good Governance Agenda in Africa notes that fundraising responsibilities in modern presidential campaigns routinely draw on individuals with deep knowledge of tax policy, private-sector engagement and public expenditure.
“The presence of such expertise does not automatically compromise the operational independence of the revenue service.
“What matters is whether official authority is abused—an allegation that remains unsubstantiated in the present case.”
The group, therefore, rejects the claim that the mere listing of the Nigeria Revenue Service Chairman on a campaign council constitutes institutional capture.
Atu stated that if credible evidence of resource diversion or taxpayer coercion existed, the appropriate response would be formal complaints to the relevant agencies or the courts.
According to him, the absence of such evidence exposes the current outcry as political theatre designed to manufacture moral panic.
He added: “Nigerians are far more concerned with the cost of living, the safety of their communities and the reliability of public services than with the internal organogram of any party’s campaign machinery.
“An opposition that prioritises personnel lists over policy alternatives is already preparing the ground for electoral defeat.”
The organisation emphasises that the true test of institutional integrity lies in the day-to-day independence of revenue agencies, the transparent management of public funds and the even-handed enforcement of electoral laws.
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“The inclusion of individuals with proven administrative capacity is a rational response to the demands of organising a national campaign,” Dr. Atu observed.
“It is not an endorsement of past controversies or a licence for future misconduct. Allegations remain allegations until proven. Conviction, not accusation, is the standard that should guide public judgment.
“Those who claim to defend institutional neutrality must apply the principle consistently. If the rule is that no serving public officer may participate in partisan structures, then that rule must bind every party.
“Selective application reveals political motive rather than genuine concern for good governance.”