Politics

Atiku Responds to EFCC’s Detention of Former Sokoto Governor Tambuwal

Published by Tope Fakinlede on August 12th, 2025.

Atiku Responds to EFCC’s Detention of Former Sokoto Governor Tambuwal

The detention of Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Governor of Sokoto State, by the EFCC is clearly motivated by his position as a member of the opposition coalition. This action aligns with the ongoing strategy of the Tinubu-led government to intimidate and suppress opposition voices.

What we are witnessing now is the politicization of the anti-corruption fight, turned into a tool to pressure opposition figures into aligning with the ruling party. Unfortunately, the Tinubu administration is using this approach to undermine democratic principles.

Instead of serving justice, the EFCC and state actors have become instruments of political bullying, leveraging corruption allegations selectively to target opposition members. This misuse deviates completely from the original purpose for which the EFCC was established—an independent body committed to genuine anti-corruption efforts.

It seems that being affiliated with the opposition today is almost synonymous with being a target of fabricated corruption charges, while those who conform to the ruling party’s agenda are granted impunity.

This pattern is harmful to the integrity of our institutions and counterproductive to the fight against corruption. In fact, such practices only encourage the spread of corrupt behavior.

We have observed the EFCC’s role in pressuring opposition governors to defect to the ruling party, and it appears this coercion will continue unabated.

While the fight against corruption deserves the support of all Nigerians, exploiting it for political gain must be universally condemned—both by civil society groups and the international community that supports Nigeria’s democratic progress.

Recently, anti-corruption agencies have increasingly been used as instruments of political coercion. We assure Nigerians that we will resist these undemocratic tactics aimed at forcing a one-party system in our

country.

— AA