Our Reporter, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of being used by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to harass and discredit opposition figures through what it described as “choreographed media trials.”
In a statement issued Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party alleged that the EFCC’s recent actions — including the detention of former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, and the investigation of former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha — were politically motivated.
The ADC questioned the timing of the probes, noting that the anti-graft agency had also reopened investigations into the party’s national chairman, Senator David Mark, 10 years after he left the Senate Presidency.
“It has become crystal clear that the EFCC is out on a hatchet job — a choreographed media trial targeted at bringing coalition leaders to disrepute,” Abdullahi said.
The statement recalled that Ihedioha, who served as Imo governor for just seven months before his removal by the Supreme Court in January 2020, left office over five years ago, while Mark’s eight-year tenure as Senate President ended in 2015. It also pointed out that Tambuwal completed his tenure as Sokoto governor two years ago.
The party alleged that the EFCC had ignored “APC stalwarts with fresher and well-documented cases” while focusing on stale allegations against opposition leaders.
“A fight against corruption that begins and ends with the opposition is not justice — it is persecution,” the ADC said.
“Having failed to stop the coalition, the jittery ruling party’s next move is to discredit its leaders by getting the EFCC to accuse them of looting entire treasuries.”
The ADC insisted it was not opposed to lawful investigations but condemned what it called “selective justice” and “political weaponisation” of the anti-graft war.
