The Presidency has responded to joint statement released by the opposition leaders accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of weaponizing anti-corruption agencies for political purposes.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in a statement said President Tinubu does not issue directives to any anti- corruption agency on whom to investigate, arrest, or prosecute.
Recalled that the opposition leaders released a statement through Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, accusing the Tinubu’s administration of weaponizing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for political purposes.
According to them, “We are compelled by duty to nation and conscience to issue this statement to alert our compatriots and the international community to the unfortunate and gradual slide of our country into a state where key national institutions – particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“The Nigeria Police; The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are
increasingly perceived as tools of political intimidation, selective justice and systematic persecution of opposition leaders.
“Across our nation, there are mounting concerns that state power is being deployed not for prevention of economic crimes, but for persecution of perceived political adversaries, with the ultimate aim of weakening opposition voices and dismantling Nigeria’s multiparty democracy”, they added.
In his response, he said, “While the Presidency does not speak for the EFCC and believes the agency can speak for itself, we must reiterate that the EFCC is an independent institution established by law and empowered to carry out its statutory responsibilities without interference or favour.
Onanuga added, “The agency’s mandate is to investigate and prosecute financial crimes, irrespective of the personalities involved, their political affiliations, or their positions in society.
“We find it curious that the same people who claimed they want to rescue Nigeria are now the ones waging a war of attrition against accountability and probity. Those who have cases to answer before EFCC should be bold and brave enough to defend themselves if they are clean.
“President Tinubu does not issue directives to any anti-corruption agency on whom to investigate, arrest, or prosecute. President Tinubu has significant state issues to address rather than engage in political targeting.
“The prosecution is conducted by the court, not by any sleight of hand, and those found not guilty will receive a clean bill of health.
“Allegations of “weaponization” are distractions from these politicians, who are running short of campaign issues to challenge President Tinubu and the APC’s success in less than three years in office.“No one is above the law. Everyone must be accountable for their actions, both in and out of the office. Political affiliation should not be a shield against EFCC statutory work, which recently led to Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list.
“We have taken cognisance of the signatories to the statement. It is instructive that some of them were previously investigated and prosecuted by the EFCC even before President Tinubu took office in 2023.
“Some of these politicians have also been indicted in international financial probes for money laundering, with some of their accomplices jailed in foreign lands. Are they now signing statements because their chickens are coming home to roost, Onanuga questioned.He advised those politicians not to undermine the integrity of the nation’s institutions and the collective resolve to fight corruption by weaponising politics to escape accountability and encourage impunity.
Onanuga said, “The fight against corruption is a collective responsibility and should not be trivialised by baseless allegations, jaundiced or politicised narratives”.
The opposition leaders also in the statement accused President Tinubu’s administration of pressuring Governors to defect to the ruling Party All Progressive Congress APC.According to them, “Recent defections of opposition governors into the ruling party have reinforced public suspicion that political pressure, not ideological or personal persuasion, is driving this realignment.
“This pattern forms part of a broader project that targets not only elected leaders but also key opposition figures perceived as architects of emerging coalitions ahead of the 2027 general election”.
The opposition leaders warned that this project, if allowed to continue unchecked, poses a grave danger to Nigeria’s democratic future.Responding to this accusation, the Presidency said the Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of association and affords the people the right to change their political leanings at any time of their choosing.
He added that none of the people who joined the governing APC was pressured to do so. “They all did so of their own free will. They are being motivated by the noticeable gains of President Bola Tinubu’s reform programme.
“We may ask: when politicians were moving in droves to the now-dying Peoples Democratic Party between 2000 and 2015, was Nigeria’s democracy imperilled”, the Presidency asked.
