By Abdulsalami Abdulfatai Sokoto
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State has condemned the arrest of former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing it as part of a wider campaign of political repression by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, the party accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government of using state institutions to target political opponents and suppress dissent.
Tambuwal, who governed Sokoto State from 2015 to 2023 and currently serves as a senator, was taken into EFCC custody in Abuja last Monday over alleged financial irregularities amounting to N189 billion. The PDP, however, insists the probe is “trumped up” and politically motivated, noting that it is based on “an old phantom” allegation that has repeatedly failed to yield any evidence of wrongdoing.
“The selective and discriminatory manner the anti-graft agency conducts its activities clearly proves the desperation of the APC-led government to cling to power against growing national rejection,” the statement read.
The PDP maintained that Tambuwal’s eight-year tenure was marked by fiscal discipline and transparency, adding that those behind the renewed investigation are political actors in Sokoto and Abuja seeking to tarnish his image.
The party also alleged that several APC leaders with genuine corruption cases pending before the EFCC have been spared scrutiny, describing the development as proof of “obvious partisan reasons” driving the anti-graft agency’s actions.
Reaffirming its confidence in Tambuwal’s “ethical and moral uprightness,” the PDP urged its supporters and Sokoto residents to remain law-abiding but resolute in pushing for “genuine democracy and good governance” in the state and across Nigeria.
“We will not be daunted by the repressive schemes of reactionary forces, no matter how highly placed,” the statement concluded.
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