Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has criticised the initial composition of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 elections, saying allegations surrounding some members could undermine confidence in the ruling party.
Dalung made the remarks on Arise Television on Tuesday while discussing the credibility of the 2027 electoral process.
He said the integrity of individuals selected to campaign for presidential candidates would be an important factor in determining public confidence in the election.
“The credibility of any transition process begins with nominations of those qualified to contest, and then those that are put forward to solicit support and convince people to support the various candidates,” he said.
Dalung said the APC campaign council list had generated concerns because of allegations previously associated with some of the personalities named.
“Of great concern is the list of people saddled with the responsibilities of campaigning for the various candidates,” he said.
“So far, we have the list of the APC, and it has elicited serious concern by Nigerians looking at the characters that populated that list.”
He questioned the implications of having people facing corruption allegations playing prominent roles in the campaign.
“If you have a campaign council list made up of these personalities, who have corruption hanging on their necks like the sword of Damocles, then you will question what the future looks like,” he said.
“What type of government are we trying to put in the future, and what will the Bola Ahmed Tinubu government, if elected in 2027, look like?”
Dalung also criticised the APC’s decision to withdraw the initial list for review, describing it as an indication of problems within the party’s process.
“They cannot throw a list of very corrupt persons to our face and then turn around to say they are going to review it,” he said.
“This is a vote of no confidence passed on themselves, and I think Nigerians should take note of this.”
The former minister rejected claims that his criticism was politically motivated, saying his position was driven by national interest.
“It is not about where you stand,” he said, adding that the central issue should be “the capacity of the government to deliver on its campaign promises.”
Dalung backs fuel subsidy return
Dalung also advocated the reintroduction of fuel subsidy, arguing that its removal had not produced the expected benefits for ordinary Nigerians.
“On fuel subsidy, I stand with the reintroduction of fuel subsidy because the withdrawal of fuel subsidy has not benefited Nigerians. Rather, it has benefited the few people in government,” he said.
He further accused the government of lacking the capacity to effectively tackle corruption.
“This government has no capacity to deal with corruption because its foundation is on corruption,” he alleged.
On state police, however, Dalung praised President Bola Tinubu for supporting the initiative.
“I will have to commend President Bola Tinubu for insisting and pressuring the National Assembly to have the state police Act passed,” he said.
He cautioned that Nigerians should not expect immediate results from the initiative, saying its benefits would take time to become evident.
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