…accuse Tinubu administration of weaponising anti-graft agencies
…Presidency insists defections are fueled by noticeable gains of Tinubu’s administration
By Sodiq Adelakun
Leading opposition figures have raised the alarm over what they described as a growing threat to Nigeria’s multi-party democracy, accusing the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of deploying state institutions to intimidate and weaken opposition forces.
In a joint statement titled “Anti-Corruption, Not Anti-Opposition”, the leaders warned that key national institutions, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), were increasingly being perceived as instruments of political persecution rather than impartial enforcers of the law.
The statement was jointly signed by former Senate President, Senator David Mark; former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; former Edo State Governor, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi; Chief Bode George; and Mallam Lawal Batagarawa.
According to the opposition leaders, there were growing fears across the country that state power was being weaponised to intimidate perceived political adversaries, weaken opposition parties and ultimately dismantle Nigeria’s democratic pluralism.
The statement reads: “We are compelled by duty to nation and conscience to issue this statement to alert our compatriots and the international community to the unfortunate and gradual slide of our country into a state where key national institutions – particularly the EFCC, the Nigeria Police and the ICPC – are increasingly perceived as tools of political intimidation, selective justice and systematic persecution of opposition leaders.
“Across our nation, there are mounting concerns that state power is being deployed not for prevention of economic crimes, but for persecution of perceived political adversaries, with the ultimate aim of weakening opposition voices and dismantling Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
“More than ever before in our democratic experience, Nigerians have witnessed what many now describe as a covert, undemocratic agenda to ensure that all state governments fall under the control of the President’s party, not through transparent electoral contests, but by intimidating opposition governors via the anti-corruption apparatus until they succumb and defect.
“This project, if allowed to continue unchecked, poses a grave danger to Nigeria’s democratic future.”
The opposition figures further alleged a pattern of selective enforcement by the EFCC, arguing that allegations against ruling party figures were often ignored, while opposition leaders were subjected to aggressive investigations and media trials.
They referenced past remarks attributed to a former national chairman of the ruling party suggesting that political defections could shield individuals from prosecution, describing such perceptions as corrosive to public trust in anti-corruption efforts.
The leaders warned that the perceived erosion of the EFCC’s independence was capable of triggering serious social and political instability as the country moves closer to another election cycle.
As part of their demands, the opposition leaders called for the immediate depoliticisation of the EFCC, insisting that the agency must be insulated from presidential or partisan control and returned strictly to its statutory mandate.
They also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against what they described as attempts to transform the country into a de facto one-party state, warning that democracy thrives only where opposition voices are free and protected.
In a far-reaching proposal, the leaders advocated embedding anti-graft operatives directly into government payment and expenditure processes at the federal, state and local government levels to prevent corruption before it occurs, rather than relying solely on post-facto prosecution.
They also demanded the establishment of an independent review body to examine the public accounts of the federal government, all states and all local governments from 2015 to 2025, with powers to publish its findings and recommend reforms to the EFCC Act.
According to the statement, the proposed body should be chaired by an eminent judge and include representatives of civil society organisations, professional bodies, security agencies and all political parties represented in the National Assembly.
The opposition leaders concluded by calling on Nigerians across party lines, regions and faiths to defend the country’s democracy, warning that silence in the face of injustice could prove fatal to the nation’s democratic future.
They also disclosed plans to engage Nigeria’s international partners and diplomatic missions to express concerns over what they described as the politicisation of anti-graft institutions.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has strongly rebuked a coalition of opposition leaders who recently accused the Tinubu administration of undermining multi-party democracy and using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a tool for political persecution.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the Presidency described the opposition group as a failed opposition engaging in subterfuge and dismissed their allegations as a desperate search for scapegoats.
Onanuga rejected the claim that the country’s multi-party system is imperiled by the influx of politicians into the APC.
He argued that the defections are voluntary and driven by the noticeable gains of President Bola Tinubu’s reform programme, rather than coercion.
“Our constitution guarantees freedom of association and affords our people the right to change their political leanings at any time of their choosing,” Onanuga stated.
He further queried, “When politicians were moving in droves to the now-dying Peoples Democratic Party between 2000 and 2015, was Nigeria’s democracy imperilled?”
Addressing the allegations that the EFCC is being weaponized to target political opponents, Onanuga maintained that the anti-graft agency operates as an independent institution established by law.
He insisted that President Tinubu does not interfere in its operations or issue directives on whom to investigate or prosecute.
“The agency’s mandate is to investigate and prosecute financial crimes, irrespective of the personalities involved, their political affiliations, or their positions in society,” the statement read.
Onanuga noted that the recent actions by the EFCC have led to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, a milestone he argued should not be undermined by politicized narratives.
He challenged those with questions to answer regarding their stewardship of public funds to defend themselves in court rather than waging a war of attrition against accountability.
The Presidency also took a swipe at the signatories of the opposition’s statement, pointing out that some of them had been under EFCC investigation long before President Tinubu assumed office in 2023.
“It is instructive that some of them were previously investigated and prosecuted by the EFCC even before President Tinubu took office,” Onanuga remarked, alleging that some had been indicted in international financial probes for money laundering.
“Are they now signing statements because their chickens are coming home to roost?” he asked, warning the politicians against weaponizing politics to escape accountability and encourage impunity.
The statement concluded by advising the opposition to refrain from trivializing the fight against corruption with baseless allegations, asserting that President Tinubu remains focused on addressing significant state issues rather than engaging in political targeting.
