Members of the African Democratic Congress(ADC) are currently roped in fear and confusion as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission allegedly targets key members of the 2027 coalition, seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu at the 2027 election.
This comes as the EFCC questioned coalition member and former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, on Monday for alleged N189 billion in fraudulent cash withdrawals.
The former Sokoto State governor arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja around 11:30am and was taken into custody for questioning by investigators.
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According to information obtained from sources, he was taken into custody on alleagtions of fraud and money laundering to the tune of N189bn.
The source said, “Former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal is being held over alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals to the tune of N189billion.
“The withdrawals are in flagrant violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022. The governor arrived the EFCC’s headquarters around 11:30am and faced interrogators on the alleged financial crime.”
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In an exclusive interview ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi confirmed the development stating that “Yes, they have summoned our members, but I won’t give you names. There are three of them, former governors. Some are already members of the National Assembly, while others are not.
“Some left office in 2023, and some even earlier than that. This is an attempt to force them to leave the coalition, or to intimidate them into not taking an active part in it. But we are determined to rescue Nigeria.”
Abdullahi claimed in a statement released earlier Monday that the EFCC had betrayed its credibility by revisiting previous cases against opposition politicians while ignoring accusations against members of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).
The ADC further cautioned that biased investigations for the ruling party undermined public confidence and made the battle against corruption more difficult.
The ADC statement read, “In recent days, several senior members of the Opposition Coalition have received EFCC summons that are clearly politically motivated. These are not fresh cases arising from new evidence but new files opened in reaction to emergent political affiliations to intimidate key opposition figures.
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“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 to have been compromised. The Commission now operates like a department of the APC, deployed to fight government critics and opposition figures thereby achieving what the government cannot achieve through public debate.
“Meanwhile, we have observed how investigations into ruling party allies quietly fade away while opposition figures are dragged before the court of public opinion with sometimes decade-old allegations that have been hastily revived and dressed up as fresh evidence. This is selective prosecution, and selective prosecution is the death of justice.
“It does appear that in today’s Nigeria, one’s guilt or innocence depends on one’s party membership, not evidence. For example, since a certain former governor defected to the APC with his state’s entire political machinery, the EFCC’s investigations into his administration have vanished from public view. Not a question has been asked. Not a document leaked. Not a single update. Yet the same EFCC still somehow find means to reopen old cases against opposition leaders and pursue the stale allegations against them.”
ADC strongly emphasized that the EFCC is owned by the Nigerian people and funded by taxpayers, not the APC.
ADC added, “It does not augur well for the EFCC if people think that all you need to point the accusing hands of the Commission in your direction is to stand opposed to the ruling party and all that it takes for protection is to align with the government.
“Unfortunately, this is the widely established perception in Nigeria today, which the commission by its recent actions, including the ongoing surreptitious harassment of opposition leaders, has given credence to.
“The ADC hereby calls on all Nigerians, civil society organisations, and the independent media to resist this dangerous slide into dictatorship and misuse of public institutions to achieve partisan objectives. The EFCC does not belong to the APC. It belongs to the Nigerian people. It is funded by taxpayers, not the ruling party.”
Responding to the ADC’s claims, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesman described the ADC’s allegations as untenable, daring the party to back its claims with facts.
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He said, “This position is patently untenable and ridiculous. Where are the facts and statistics to justify such a claim?
Meanwhile, multiple sources in the coalition, who spoke on condition of anonymity stated that the EFCCs move has sparked panic in the ADC coalition camp.
This development further deepens the crisis in the opposition coalition as several top politicians distanced themselves from the group in recent weeks.
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