Atiku accuses Tinubu of using EFCC to intimidate opposition over Tambuwal’s detention
By Uzair Adam
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is weaponizing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to target political opponents.
Atiku made the claim while reacting to the detention of former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, describing it as part of a broader plan to “harass, intimidate, and decimate” members of the opposition coalition.
He stated that, “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 intimidate the opposition.”
The former Vice President, who played a key role in establishing the EFCC during his tenure, accused the commission of abandoning its core anti-corruption mandate to serve political purposes.
He alleged that opposition leaders were being targeted with “phantom” corruption allegations, only to be absolved once they defect to the ruling party.
Atiku warned that such practices undermine institutional integrity and fuel corruption, pointing to what he called a “growing trend” of using anti-corruption agencies to pressure governors and political leaders into joining the ruling party.
While expressing support for a genuine anti-corruption fight, Atiku urged Nigerians, civil society groups, and the international community to resist “anti-democratic machinations” aimed at creating a one-party state.
“We will never succumb to these tactics. The use of anti-corruption agencies as a political agenda must be roundly condemned,” he added.