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Betta Edu, a former minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, along with Ngozi Olejeme, who previously chaired the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), have secured positions on the 2027 presidential campaign council for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The ruling party published its campaign roster earlier on Saturday, designating Abdulaziz Yari, a senator representing Zamfara West, as the director-general, while Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo State, assumes the role of secretary.
Occupying position number 97 on the document, Edu takes on the responsibility of director for women’s mobilisation within the campaign structure, whereas Olejeme is positioned at number 37 to direct election planning, coordination, and mobilisation for the south-south zone.
Both appointees have faced public scrutiny in recent years following financial corruption allegations that preceded their departures from public office.
President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu on January 8, 2024, after internal correspondence surfaced showing her directive to Oluwatoyin Madein, the accountant-general of the federation, to transfer the sum of N585 million into a private bank account.
The presidency subsequently directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough inquiry into financial dealings within the humanitarian ministry.
Investigators interrogated the former minister at the anti-graft agency’s main office in Abuja immediately following her suspension.
Authorities also halted all initiatives managed by the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) for a two-month duration to facilitate a wider review of agency management and operational transparency.
Anti-graft operatives announced in April 2024 that their probe into the ministry had yielded recoveries totaling N30 billion, alongside an ongoing review of 50 distinct bank accounts.
During an executive cabinet reorganization on October 22, Tinubu selected Nentawe Yilwatda, the current national chairman of the APC, to succeed Edu in her former portfolio.
Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser on information and strategy, verified her permanent exit from the federal executive five days later, stating that the administration had closed its doors to her return.
When questioned regarding the findings of the investigation into Edu, presidential aides noted that the anti-corruption agency had yet to publicize its findings.
As of the time this report was compiled, the official investigation report concerning the suspended minister remained unreleased.
OLEJEME’S PENDING TRIAL
Meanwhile, the anti-corruption commission formally arraigned Olejeme before a federal high court in Abuja in October 2025 in connection with an alleged N1 billion money laundering scheme.
Prosecutors brought an eight-count charge against the former board chairperson, focusing on allegations of converting, transferring, procuring, and retaining funds derived from illicit activities.
According to charge sheets filed by the commission, Olejeme is accused of diverting various financial assets belonging to the trust fund between 2012 and 2015 during her tenure overseeing the board.
The defendant entered a not-guilty plea across all counts, prompting prosecution counsel Emenike Mgbemele to ask the court for a trial date while noting plans to present 14 witnesses.
Justice Emeka Nwite directed that the accused be released into the custody of her legal counsel and scheduled the next hearing for November 17 to review the formal bail application.
Despite the scheduled proceedings, minimal updates regarding the status of the bail hearing or subsequent trial progress have surfaced since that date.
The commission previously declared Olejeme a wanted individual in September 2017 over wide-ranging accusations encompassing criminal conspiracy, official corruption, asset diversion, and money laundering estimated at N69 billion.
A federal high court in Abuja subsequently granted an interim forfeiture order in July 2020 targeting 48 real estate assets linked to the former agency head.
Further legal steps followed in October 2021 when she faced a separate nine-count indictment before Justice Maryam Hassan Aliyu at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
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