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Lament weakening of opposition forces
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Push for restructuring of EFCC, others
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Prominent leaders of opposition in country, including former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, National Chairman of African Democratic Congress, ADC, Senator David Mark, erstwhile presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi and three others have harped on the need for the operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to be shielded from political interference.
They maintained that the EFCC must not serve the whims and caprices of any President, party or political faction.
This was contained in joint statement issued by Atiku, Mark, Obi, Chief Bode George, a chieftain of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Chief John Odogie Oyegun, former Governor of Edo State and Mallam Lawal Batagarawa, former Governor of Sokoto State on Sunday in Abuja.
The Commission, they maintained, must refocus on genuine detection and prevention of economic crimes across board, not selective prosecution, media trials or intimidation of opposition figures.
They pointed out that for the avoidance of doubt, the functions and powers of the Commission are expressly provided for under Sections 6 & 7 respectively.
Nigerians, according to them, must remain eternally vigilant to ensure that the President does not transform the country into a de facto one-party state – as witnessed in Lagos over the last 25 years, where opposition leaders were silenced, coerced or induced into irrelevance.
The statement by the opposition leaders reads in part, “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.
“The President must recognise that evident social and political injustice could snowball into mayhem as the nation approaches another election cycle. This trend must be halted immediately if the nation must be spared a major catastrophe.
“More than ever before in our democratic experience, Nigerians have witnessed what many now describe as a covert, undemocratic agenda: to ensure that all state governments fall under the control of the President’s party – not through transparent electoral contests, but by secretly intimidating opposition governors via the anti-corruption apparatus until they succumb and defect.
“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.
“We must warn that this project, if allowed to continue unchecked, poses a grave danger to Nigeria’s democratic future.
“There is a discernible pattern of persecution of the opposition by the EFCC with the sole objective of weakening same for the benefit of the ruling APC.
“This disturbing pattern mirrors a long-standing sentiment openly expressed years ago by a former National Chairman of the ruling APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who declared when receiving defectors from the PDP: “Once you have joined APC, all your sins are forgiven.”
“Whether intended as political rhetoric or not, this statement has come to symbolise a troubling reality: allegations against members of the ruling party are routinely perceived to be overlooked, while even unsubstantiated accusations against opposition figures are vigorously pursued and subjected to media trial.
“A few recent examples reinforce this perception. Months ago, a minister was implicated in a financial scandal so blatant that only sustained public outrage forced her resignation.
“Yet, long after stepping down, she has neither been charged nor arraigned by the EFCC and is now actively involved in the President’s re-election campaign. “Similarly, another minister remained in office despite the university he claimed to have attended publicly denying his academic certificate. He, too, resigned only after intense public pressure, Months later, no charges have been filed.
“Such selective enforcement undermines the legitimacy of anti-corruption efforts and erodes public trust.
“Furthermore, Nigerians are not blind to the sudden empowerment of certain political actors, including individuals appointed to federal executive positions after crossing from the opposition but still claim to be members of opposition party – whose unstated mandate, in the public’s eyes, appears to include the systematic destabilisation of opposition parties through the creation of factions, inducement and the exploitation of judicial processes, allegedly funded by state resources.
“We call on all patriotic Nigerians across party lines, professions, regions and faiths to stand firm.
“Our democracy is under threat through the deliberate and systematic weakening of opposition forces, with the EFCC as the central instrument in this troubling strategy.
“In the coming weeks, we will provide more details, and also engage foreign partners of Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies and diplomatic missions, including United States, UK, Canada, EU, World Bank Office, United Nations, to express our deep concern about the EFCC increasingly becoming a willing tool in a broader scheme to weaken opposition in Nigeria, and also demand a reform of the anti graft agency”, they declared.
Nigeria’s democracy, according to them, demands vigilance, courage and unity.
