Tinubu’s Appointee: Group Fires Back at Opposition Over Campaign Role, 'Sign of Electoral Defeat'
- The Good Governance Agenda in Africa backed Zacch Adedeji's role in the APC presidential campaign council against opposition attacks
- GGAA convener Randy Atu, via a statement, argued that Adedeji's fundraising appointment reflects proven administrative expertise
- The group warned that the opposition's focus on Adedeji's appointment signals a lack of confidence in their own 2027 electoral prospects
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - A civil society group has pushed back against opposition criticism of Nigeria Revenue Service chairman Zacch Adedeji's appointment as Deputy Director of Fundraising on the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, calling the attacks a distraction from more pressing national concerns.
Legit.ng reports that the Good Governance Agenda in Africa (GGAA) made its position known in a statement signed by its convener, Randy Atu, on Tuesday, September 1.
The group said the volume of criticism directed at Adedeji's campaign role says more about the opposition's electoral anxieties than it does about any genuine breach of public service ethics.
Source: Twitter
Group defends Adedeji amid 'opposition attacks'
Atu stated that the sustained attacks on Adedeji's inclusion have pulled attention away from what should be the central debates of the 2027 elections, namely inflation, food prices, insecurity and service delivery.
"The opposition's fixation on Zacch Adedeji's presence in the campaign council is a classic case of misplaced priority," he 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."
The GGAA argued that expertise in revenue mobilisation is a legitimate asset for a national campaign to draw on, and that deploying such expertise within a party structure does not automatically compromise the operational independence of any government agency.
"What matters is whether official authority is abused, an allegation that remains unsubstantiated in the present case," Atu said.
GGAA slams opposition over Adedeji criticism
The GGAA dismissed the suggestion that listing a sitting public officer on a campaign council amounts to institutional capture. Atu said that if credible evidence of taxpayer coercion or resource diversion existed, the proper response would be formal complaints to relevant agencies or the courts, not public outcry.
"The attempt to stigmatise professional competence as a conflict of interest is itself evidence of strategic panic rather than principled concern for institutional neutrality," he said, adding that the current criticism amounted to political theatre designed to manufacture moral panic.
Furthermore, Atu called for consistent application of any rule governing public officers and partisan structures, warning that selective enforcement exposes political motivation rather than a genuine defence of good governance.
He argued that ordinary Nigerians remain focused on the cost of living, personal security and reliable public services, not on the internal composition of any party's campaign machinery.
"An opposition that prioritises personnel lists over policy alternatives is already preparing the ground for electoral defeat," he said.
Read more on APC
- "What must be done with Rabiu Kwankwaso to ensure Tinubu's victory," APC founding member speaks out
- Benue: Prominent APC leader assassinated, photo emerges
- APC announces new job vacancies for Nigerians nationwide, application link, other details emerge
- APC senator reacts to veteran actor Taiwo Hassan Ogogo's death
Tinubu gives Omole appointment
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Tinubu named Ade Omole as Deputy Director, Diaspora Mobilisation I, of the APC presidential campaign council, as the ruling party begins building its machinery for the 2027 presidential election.
Omole is an ICT executive, legal professional and public affairs strategist. He is a prominent figure in Nigeria’s diaspora engagement and is widely recognised as the “Face of the Nigerian Diaspora.” Omole is also a diaspora leader and Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Voting Council (NDVC).
Source: Legit.ng
