Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of weaponizing anti-corruption agencies, especially the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to intimidate opposition figures and force them to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page Tuesday, Atiku criticized the “politicisation” of the EFCC, pointing to the detention of former Sokoto Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and the summoning of former Imo Governor Emeka Ihedioha on corruption charges.
Atiku claimed Tambuwal’s arrest was politically motivated due to his involvement in a coalition planning to challenge Tinubu in 2027. “Anyone in the opposition becomes a target for phantom corruption allegations. But once they join Tinubu’s political agenda, their ‘sins’ are forgiven,” he said.
The former Vice President warned that this trend threatens Nigeria’s democracy and could create a one-party state, vowing opposition resistance. He lamented that the EFCC, which he said was established during his administration to fight corruption, has become “a tool for political persecution.”
Atiku called on civil society and the international community to condemn the alleged misuse of anti-corruption agencies for partisan purposes, stating that using the fight against corruption as a political weapon undermines the cause and enables corruption to flourish.
The EFCC detained Tambuwal on Monday over alleged financial misconduct and invited Ihedioha for questioning regarding similar allegations from his tenure as Imo governor.
