Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the detention of former Sokoto State governor, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing it as a politically motivated move to weaken the opposition.
In a statement on Tuesday, Atiku alleged that the EFCC’s action was part of a broader strategy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to harass, intimidate, and “decimate” members of opposition parties. He claimed that the anti-corruption fight had been “objectified as a political tool” to coerce opposition leaders into joining the ruling party.
“At the rate we are going, anyone in the opposition is a target for phantom corruption allegations, but once they join the ruling party, their ‘sins’ are forgiven,” Atiku stated. He argued that such practices undermine democratic institutions and encourage corruption rather than curb it.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain further accused the EFCC of being used to pressure opposition governors and political leaders into defecting, warning that such tactics could lead Nigeria towards a “one-party dictatorship.” He urged civil society, Nigerians, and the international community to reject what he described as anti-democratic machinations.
