A bipartisan group of House of Representatives members has questioned the inclusion of senior defence, tax and budget officials in the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council.
The lawmakers, operating under the Save Democracy Group, said the issue was not whether public officials had political rights but whether sensitive state institutions should be visibly connected to partisan campaign structures.
The group raised particular concern about the participation of the Minister of Defence and Minister of State for Defence.
It argued that the leadership of the defence establishment should remain clearly separate from partisan campaign operations at a time of continuing terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
The lawmakers said the Armed Forces belonged to the Nigerian state rather than any political party.
They stressed that institutional neutrality had to be both real and publicly visible.
The group also questioned the inclusion of Nigeria Revenue Service Chairman Zacch Adedeji in the campaign’s fundraising structure.
It said the tax system should remain impartial and warned against creating a perception that revenue administration could become politically connected.
The lawmakers did not present evidence that public funds had been used for campaign purposes.
Their concern centered on the potential appearance of conflict.
The group also criticized the appointment of the Budget Office Director General to a finance role in the campaign council.
It argued that the official responsible for national budget preparation should not simultaneously be perceived as managing political campaign finances.
The lawmakers said their objection went beyond party competition and concerned the integrity of public institutions.
They urged President Bola Tinubu and the affected officials to ensure that public resources, institutional access and government machinery remained separate from campaign operations.
The concerns form part of a broader debate over the participation of senior public officials in the ruling party’s reelection campaign.
No finding of misconduct was established in the source material.
