EFCC Moves Against ADC Leaders Ahead of 2027, Arrests Top Leaders

• ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi accused the commission of targeting three former governors in the coalition to weaken the opposition ahead of 2027.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its allies in the 2027 opposition coalition are on edge after the EFCC allegedly launched moves against top leaders accused of plotting to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next election.

This followed the interrogation of former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal over alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals totaling ₦189 billion. Tambuwal remains in EFCC custody as investigations continue.

While EFCC declined to comment on the case, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi accused the commission of targeting three former governors in the coalition to weaken the opposition ahead of 2027.

“They have summoned our members, but I won’t give you names. There are three former governors involved… This is an attempt to force them to leave the coalition or to intimidate them… But we are determined to rescue Nigeria,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC also accused the EFCC of acting as a “department of the APC” by reopening old cases against opposition figures while ignoring allegations against ruling party members.

The statement read in part:

“In recent days, several senior members of the Opposition Coalition have received EFCC summons that are clearly politically motivated. These are not fresh cases arising from new evidence but new files opened in reaction to emergent political affiliations to intimidate key opposition figures.

“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.

“Meanwhile, investigations into ruling party allies quietly fade away while opposition figures face renewed scrutiny over decade-old allegations dressed up as fresh evidence. This selective prosecution undermines justice.”

ADC added; “It does not augur well for the EFCC if people think that all you need to point the accusing hands of the Commission in your direction is to stand opposed to the ruling party and all that it takes for protection is to align with the government,”

“Unfortunately, this is the widely established perception in Nigeria today, which the commission by its recent actions, including the ongoing surreptitious harassment of opposition leaders, has given credence to.

“The ADC hereby calls on all Nigerians, civil society organisations, and the independent media to resist this dangerous slide into dictatorship and misuse of public institutions to achieve partisan objectives. The EFCC does not belong to the APC. It belongs to the Nigerian people. It is funded by taxpayers, not the ruling party.”

Responding to the accusations, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale dismissed the claims as “untenable and ridiculous,” challenging the ADC to back its statements with facts.

“The commission is non-partisan and non-sectarian. Are cases Abdullahi is talking about concocted by the EFCC? Those who did the crime should be ready to have their time in court. Available records in our courts are enough to show that the EFCC only operates by its mandate, and the mandate does not make it an appendage of any political party.”