By Obinna Uballa
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former Nigerian Vice President, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a tool to persecute opposition figures, following the detention of former Sokoto State Governor and serving Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
In a strongly worded statement, Atiku described Tambuwal’s arrest as part of a deliberate strategy to “harass, intimidate, and decimate” the opposition coalition.
“The only reason the EFCC has detained the former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is because he is a member of the opposition Coalition,” Atiku said. “It is a continuation of the Tinubu-led administration’s agenda to intimidate the opposition.”
Atiku, who played a key role in establishing the EFCC during his time as Vice President, accused the agency of abandoning its founding mission and becoming “objectified” as a political instrument. He claimed that anti-corruption investigations were now being used selectively to pressure political opponents into defecting to the ruling party.
“Today, anyone who associates with the opposition is a target for phantom corruption allegations. As soon as they are coerced into the political agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, their ‘sins’ are forgiven,” he said.
He warned that such tactics undermine institutional integrity, erode public trust, and create a climate in which corruption can thrive. He cited what he called a “growing trend” of opposition governors and leaders being pushed into the ruling party under threat of prosecution.
“We have seen how the EFCC has been used to empty opposition state governors into the ruling party, and the tea party is not about to end anytime soon,” Atiku said.
While stressing the importance of a united front against genuine corruption, Atiku called on civil society groups, Nigerians, and the international community to condemn what he described as “anti-democratic machinations” aimed at turning Nigeria into a one-party state.
“The genuine fight against corruption is a matter that requires the total support of all Nigerians,” he said. “But the objectification of it as a political agenda should be roundly condemned by all in civil society spaces and friends of Nigeria in the international community.
The statement, also posted on his official X account, reiterated his refusal to be intimidated. “Our assurance to Nigerians is that we would never succumb to this anti-democratic machinations of railroading our people into a one-party dictatorship,” Atiku said.
