The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has turned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into a political tool against opposition politicians, according to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The EFCC’s recent activities, including as revisiting old cases and calling in opposition members, were accused of being politically motivated by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, in a statement released on Monday.
In order to uphold the confidence of the Nigerian people, the EFCC was established to apply the law equally to all parties, whether they are allies or adversaries, the ruling party or the opposition. That vision seems to have been damaged today,” Abdullahi stated.
“A department of the APC, deployed to fight government critics and opposition figures,” according to the ADC, which said the anti-graft agency had abandoned impartiality.
Additionally, it charged that the EFCC persistently pursued opposition figures while abandoning investigations involving APC allies.
Since a particular former governor joined the APC with the support of his whole state’s political apparatus, the public has lost sight of the EFCC’s investigations into his administration. No one has asked a question. No papers were leaked. No updates. It seems that party affiliation, not proof, determines a person’s guilt or innocence in modern-day Nigeria, Abdullahi stated.
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Nigerians Own the EFCC, Not the APC
The ADC claimed that Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign and the EFCC’s reputation were being harmed by the apparent partisanship.
“The APC is not affiliated with the EFCC. It is the Nigerian people’s. Abdullahi emphasized on behalf of the opposition party that taxpayers, not the ruling party, are funding it.
Using public institutions as political enforcers, he cautioned, erodes democracy and increases public mistrust.
To prevent political control of national institutions, the ADC called on stakeholders.
This perilous tendency is weakening the actual battle against corruption and reducing public confidence in the organization. “We cannot permit public institutions to be taken over for political purposes,” the party said.
