The Presidency has dismissed opposition claims that the EFCC is being weaponised against political opponents, insisting the anti-corruption agency operates independently and without presidential interference
‘Anti-Graft War Not Political’ – Presidency Dismisses Claims of EFCC Weaponisation, Blasts Opposition Leaders
The Presidency has firmly rejected allegations by opposition politicians that anti-corruption agencies are being weaponised to intimidate and weaken political opponents, describing the claims as unfounded and politically motivated.
A coalition of opposition leaders had, on Sunday, accused the Federal Government of deploying the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a tool of political persecution, warning that the trend could endanger Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
Responding in a statement, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, dismissed the claims as the rhetoric of failed politicians searching for excuses for their shortcomings.
Onanuga said assertions that democracy is under threat because politicians are defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are misleading and lack constitutional basis.
“Our constitution guarantees freedom of association and affords our people the right to change their political leanings at any time of their choosing,” the statement read.
He stressed that no individual was coerced into joining the APC, noting that recent defections were voluntary and driven by confidence in the administration’s reform agenda.
“None of the people who joined the governing APC was pressured to do so. They all did so of their own free will. They are being motivated by the noticeable gains of President Bola Tinubu’s reform programme,” Onanuga said.
The presidential aide further questioned whether Nigeria’s democracy was considered imperiled during previous waves of political defections, particularly between 2000 and 2015, when politicians moved en masse to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Addressing allegations of selective prosecution, Onanuga said ongoing investigations by the EFCC had merely exposed public office holders who must account for their stewardship while in office.
According to him, individuals facing legitimate investigations are now attempting to deflect attention by accusing President Tinubu of weaponising the anti-graft agency.
“While the Presidency does not speak for the EFCC and believes the agency can speak for itself, we must reiterate that the EFCC is an independent institution established by law and empowered to carry out its statutory responsibilities without interference or favour,” he said.
Onanuga emphasised that the EFCC’s mandate is clear and non-partisan.
“The agency’s mandate is to investigate and prosecute financial crimes, irrespective of the personalities involved, their political affiliations, or their positions in society,” he stated.
He described it as ironic that politicians who claim to seek national redemption are now opposing accountability and probity.
“We find it curious that the same people who claimed they want to rescue Nigeria are now the ones waging a war of attrition against accountability and probity,” Onanuga said.
He added that individuals with cases before the EFCC should defend themselves through legal means if they have nothing to hide.
“Those who have cases to answer before EFCC should be bold and brave enough to defend themselves if they are clean,” he said.
The presidential spokesman further clarified that President Tinubu does not issue directives to any anti-corruption agency regarding investigations, arrests, or prosecutions.
According to him, the President remains focused on addressing national challenges and has no interest in political vendettas.
Onanuga also stressed that prosecution is the responsibility of the courts, not politicians, adding that the judicial process guarantees fairness to all.
He described the allegations of EFCC weaponisation as distractions by politicians who are running out of credible campaign issues.
“No one is above the law, and political affiliation should not shield anyone from accountability,” he said.
Onanuga disclosed that some of the signatories to the opposition statement had faced EFCC investigations and prosecutions even before President Tinubu assumed office in 2023.
“Some of these politicians have also been indicted in international financial probes for money laundering, with some of their accomplices jailed in foreign lands,” he added.
