Former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has announced plans to challenge in court the appointment of Nigeria Revenue Service Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, to the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
Melaye, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress in Kogi State, questioned the decision to place Adedeji, who oversees the nation’s revenue collection agency, in charge of fundraising for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
He disclosed his intention in a video shared on his official X account on Sunday, August 23.
According to Melaye, Adedeji’s role in the campaign structure could amount to a conflict of interest because of his responsibilities as a public official.
“And you are serving as the country’s Chairman of Nigerian Revenue Service, NRS, formally known as FIRS. Is there no conflict in this? As a lawyer, by the grace of God, on Monday, I’m going to court. We have to test that.”
Melaye argued that public servants were bound by the Public Service Rules and relevant ethical standards, which, in his view, raised questions about Adedeji’s involvement in political fundraising.
He said: “If that is not conflict of interest, I don’t know what else it would be. That a man who is a public servant, a man who is a salary earner, a man who is supposed to observe the provisions of the public ethics guidelines of Public Service Rules (PSR)—the man who is supposed to observe PSR is not just supporting Tinubu, he is a member of the Presidential Campaign Council, and he is the Deputy Director in charge of fundraising. And meanwhile, you are in charge of revenue collection of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
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The former senator also took aim at Tinubu’s decision to personally head the APC Presidential Campaign Council, describing the arrangement as unprecedented and “disgraceful.”
“This is the first time in the history of the universe and the entire world that a presidential candidate of a political party will double as the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council for his own election,” he said.
Melaye claimed the structure suggested that Tinubu was not confident in some members of his party and government.
“It shows they are jittery, it shows they are afraid. It shows that Tinubu knows that even the governors in his kitty cannot be trusted. He knows that his ministers cannot be trusted. He knows that there will be an internal implosion within the APC,” he said.
He also described the campaign council as “very, very, very bogus” and vowed to continue opposing Tinubu’s re-election.
“But I will test that in court, and we will make sure that, by the special grace of God, the battle to stop Tinubu is a battle of no retreat, no surrender. We have never gotten this low in the history of this country. It’s a big shame, it’s a disgrace. Haba!” he said.
The APC released its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council list on Saturday, with Tinubu as chairman, Vice President Kashim Shettima as Vice Chairman I and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda as Vice Chairman II.
Former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari was named Director-General, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was appointed Secretary.
The list also names Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun as Director of Fundraising and Adedeji as Deputy Director of Fundraising.