The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of weaponising the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to intimidate opposition politicians, warning that such actions are eroding public trust in the anti-graft agency and weakening Nigeria’s fight against corruption.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Monday, the ADC alleged that the EFCC’s recent moves, including reopening old cases and summoning opposition members, are politically motivated.
“The EFCC was created to be a fearless defender of the Nigerian people’s trust, applying the law evenly to all, friend or foe, ruling party or opposition. Today, that vision appears to have been compromised.
“The Commission now operates like a department of the APC, deployed to fight government critics and opposition figures, thereby achieving what the government cannot achieve through public debate,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC alleged that the EFCC is selective in prosecution, citing instances where investigations into APC allies were allegedly dropped while opposition figures continued to face revived allegations.
“Since a certain former governor defected to the APC with his state’s entire political machinery, the EFCC’s investigations into his administration have vanished from public view. Not a question has been asked. Not a document leaked. Not a single update.
“In today’s Nigeria, one’s guilt or innocence appears to depend on party membership, not evidence,” Abdullahi added.
According to the ADC, such partisanship damages both the credibility of the EFCC and the broader anti-corruption campaign, warning that the perception of the EFCC as a political enforcer undermines public confidence and breeds cynicism.
“The EFCC does not belong to the APC. It belongs to the Nigerian people. It is funded by taxpayers, not the ruling party,” the statement stressed.
