SPOTTED: Betta Edu, Ngozi Olejeme, ex-NSITF chair facing trial, named in APC campaign council

Betta Edu, former minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, and Ngozi Olejeme, former chairperson of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) board, have been included in the 2027 presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Earlier on Saturday, the APC unveiled its presidential campaign council, with Abdulaziz Yari, senator representing Zamfara west, named director-general and Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, appointed secretary.

Edu, who is number 97 on the list, was appointed director of women’s mobilisation for the campaign council, while Olejeme, listed at number 37, will serve as south-south zonal director for election planning, coordination and mobilisation.

Over the past few years, both women have been linked to allegations of financial misconduct, which preceded their removal from office.

On January 8, 2024, Tinubu suspended Edu after a memo surfaced in which she asked Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the federation, to transfer N585 million to a private account.

The president also asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the financial transactions of the humanitarian affairs ministry.

Following her suspension, the former minister was grilled at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

Subsequently, the president suspended all programmes administered by the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) for six weeks as part of a probe into alleged malfeasance in the management of the agency and its activities.

In April 2024, the EFCC said it recovered N30 billion following an investigation into the ministry’s activities, adding that 50 bank accounts were under investigation.

On October 22, Tinubu named Nentawe Yilwatda, current national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as Edu’s replacement during a cabinet reshuffle.

Five days later, Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, confirmed that Edu had left Tinubu’s cabinet, saying, “as far as this government is concerned, there is no longer a place for her in that cabinet.”

Asked about the outcome of the investigation into Edu, Onanuga said the EFCC was yet to make the details public.

As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC has still not released its probe report on the suspended minister.

OLEJEME’S PENDING TRIAL

However, in October 2025, the anti-graft agency arraigned Olejeme before a federal high court in Abuja over alleged N1 billion money laundering.

The former NSITF chairperson was arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on converting, transferring, procuring, and taking possession of proceeds of unlawful activity.

According to the EFCC, Olejeme allegedly diverted several funds belonging to the agency between 2012 and 2015 while serving as the chairperson of the board.

She pleaded not guilty to all the charges, following which Emenike Mgbemele, the EFCC counsel, requested a trial date, stating that the prosecution intended to call 14 witnesses.

Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, ordered that the defendant be released to her counsel and adjourned the case to November 17 for hearing of the bail application.

However, as of the time of filing this report, little information has emerged about the hearing of the bail application or the current status of the case.

The EFCC had declared Olejeme wanted in September 2017 over allegations of “criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering” to the tune of N69 billion.

In July 2020, a federal high court sitting in Abuja ordered the interim forfeiture of 48 properties allegedly owned by the former NSITF boss.

In October 2021, she was arraigned on a nine-count charge before Maryam Hassan Aliyu, judge of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court. (TheCable)