Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former federal lawmaker Senator Dino Melaye has announced plans to initiate legal action against President Bola Tinubu over the appointment of Dr Zacch Adedeji, the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, as Deputy Director of Fundraising for the President's 2027 presidential campaign, citing a potential conflict of interest that he argues must be tested in court. Melaye made the declaration on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in a video clip shared on his Facebook page, shortly after the All Progressives Congress unveiled the full composition of its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council. The list, announced by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, contains hundreds of party leaders, serving and former public officials, with Adedeji listed as Deputy Director of Fundraising alongside Farouk Gumel.
In his video statement, Melaye expressed profound concern over what he described as the most disturbing aspect of the campaign council list. "The most disturbing part of the list released by the APC is seeing the chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service, the body that collects our revenue, serving as Director in charge of fundraising for Tinubu's presidential campaign," Melaye declared. The former Kogi West Senator questioned the propriety of a serving civil servant overseeing revenue collection simultaneously occupying a campaign fundraising position for a political candidate, asserting that the arrangement represented a clear conflict of interest. "Is there no conflict in this? As a lawyer, by the grace of God, on Monday, I'm heading to court. We have to test that. If that is not a conflict of interest, then I don't know what would be," Melaye said.
Melaye further argued that Adedeji's dual role violated public service rules, noting that "a man who earns a salary and is supposed to adhere to public service rules is not just supporting a presidential candidate but serving as Deputy Director in charge of fundraising". The former lawmaker stressed that the matter required judicial scrutiny to determine whether the appointment complies with relevant legal provisions and public service regulations. The controversy has generated significant reactions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing concern that the involvement of the NRS chairman in campaign fundraising could blur the lines between public responsibilities and partisan political activities, and raising fears that tax revenues could be diverted to fund the President's re-election bid.
The APC campaign council, unveiled on Saturday, features President Tinubu as Chairman, Vice President Kashim Shettima as Vice Chairman I, and APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as Vice Chairman II. Former Zamfara State Governor Senator Abdulaziz Yari was named Director-General, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma serves as Secretary. The council is structured into various directorates covering mobilisation, election planning, media, security, youth and women mobilisation, finance, legal affairs, grassroots engagement, stakeholder mobilisation and other areas. The expanded list, numbering 223 entries, adds directorates covering finance, extractive industries, education, manufacturing and MSMEs, support group coordination, faith-based mobilisation, protocol, labour union relations, special duties, stakeholders' mobilisation, community support, digital operations, grassroots engagement, and welfare.
Adedeji, a Nigerian accountant, tax administrator, and public officer specialising in corporate taxation and public finance development, was appointed by President Tinubu in September 2023 as Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which has since been renamed the Nigeria Revenue Service. His appointment to the campaign council has drawn widespread criticism, with opposition figures and civil society organisations questioning the ethics of involving the nation's chief tax collector in a partisan political campaign. Melaye's planned legal action is aimed at testing the legality of the appointment rather than merely criticising the APC campaign structure. As the controversy continues to unfold, the outcome of Melaye's court challenge could have significant implications for the separation between public service and political activities in Nigeria's electoral processes.
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