The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of waging a politically motivated campaign against prominent opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The allegation follows Monday’s arrest and interrogation of former Sokoto State Governor and serving Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, over alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals totalling N189 billion during his tenure from 2015 to 2023.
Tambuwal, a key figure in the emerging opposition coalition, is widely seen as a strategic threat to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the EFCC of selective investigations aimed at intimidating political rivals. \
The party claimed that old cases were being reopened without fresh evidence, while probes into APC members were quietly dropped once the individuals defected to the ruling party.
“The EFCC was created to be a fearless defender of the Nigerian people’s trust, applying the law evenly to all—friend or foe, ruling party or opposition. Today, that vision appears compromised,” the ADC said, warning that politicizing anti-graft agencies could cripple democracy.
The ADC cited EFCC moves against former Senate President David Mark, ex-Imo Governor Emeka Ihedioha, and Tambuwal as evidence of an orchestrated crackdown.
The party claimed EFCC letters to the Imo State Government requesting urgent information on Ihedioha’s brief tenure, and a review of Mark’s years in the Senate, were part of the broader harassment.
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar joined the condemnation, describing Tambuwal’s detention as part of a plot by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to weaken opposition forces.
In a statement posted on X, Atiku accused the government of “weaponizing the fight against corruption” to coerce politicians into joining the APC.
“It is as though anyone who associates with the opposition is a target for phantom corruption allegations, and as soon as they are coerced into the political agenda of President Bola Tinubu, their ‘sins’ are forgiven,” he said, warning the trend could lead to a one-party dictatorship.
Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, accused the Tinubu administration of using state institutions to intimidate opponents, calling the tactics worse than military rule.
He maintained that Atiku and other ADC coalition leaders would continue mobilising Nigerians to resist what he described as the “satanic agenda” of the ruling party.
“We are living witnesses to what has been playing out… These are very dire times for Nigeria,” Ibe said, stressing that the ADC is a truly national party, not a regional platform.
The Interim National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, accused the administration of being “very vicious” and determined to “destroy democracy.”
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Tanko said opposition leaders should brace for further political attacks, warning that the government was shielding its allies from prosecution while targeting rivals.
“We have never condoned any kind of corrupt tendency on our side… But we will not accept selective justice,” he said, urging grassroots political mobilisation ahead of 2027.
Public Affairs Analyst Nduka Odo also described Tambuwal’s arrest as politically motivated, noting that the EFCC’s credibility has been eroded by partisan interference. He linked the move to Tambuwal’s defection to the ADC and the ruling party’s fear of a united opposition.
Odo called for reforms to end presidential control over EFCC appointments, arguing that the agency must be insulated from political influence.
With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the arrests and investigations have intensified debates about the independence of Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions and fears of creeping authoritarianism.