Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of using anti-corruption agencies as political tools to pressure opposition figures to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Atiku expressed concern that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has become a tool for political intimidation.
The EFCC on Monday detained former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal over alleged financial misconduct.
It also invited former Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha over corruption allegations during his brief time in office.
Reacting to Tambuwal’s detention, Atiku said the move was politically motivated, noting:
“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. It is a continuation of the Tinubu-led administration’s agenda to harrass, intimidate, and decimate the opposition.”
He added: “The reality unfolding before us today is that the Tinubu administration, as with other aspects, has objectified the fight against corruption as a political tool to coerce opposition leaders into the ruling party.”
Atiku lamented that the government is turning anti-corruption efforts into a form of bullying, saying: “We are living witnesses to a growing trend where the state and its operators have assumed the roles of a bully by making corruption and the fight against it a political agenda.”
He emphasized that this was not the purpose for which he helped establish the EFCC:
“Certainly, that is not the objective for which I worked hard during our administration to create the EFCC.”
While underscoring the importance of fighting corruption, Atiku called on civil society and Nigeria’s international partners to condemn the politicization of anti-corruption efforts. He stated:
“It is as though today, anyone who associates with the opposition is a target for phantom corruption allegations and, it is as though, as soon as they are coerced into the political agenda of President Tinubu, their ‘sins’ are forgiven.”
He warned that this approach undermines institution-building and actually encourages corruption, explaining:
“That, definitely, is not how to build institutions. That, certainly, is not how to fight the monster of corruption. Indeed, such tendencies provide the stimulant for corruption to thrive.”
Atiku further accused the EFCC of being used to weaken opposition governors and force defections to the ruling party:
“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.”
He concluded by pledging that opposition leaders would stand firm against any attempts to undermine Nigeria’s democracy:
“While the genuine fight against corruption is a matter that requires the total support of all Nigerians, 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.”
