Prominent Nigerian opposition figures have accused the Federal Government and state institutions of using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to intimidate and weaken political rivals ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a joint statement, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, ex-presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark and other senior opposition leaders warned that perceived selective enforcement threatens the country’s multiparty democracy.
The coalition’s public warning centres on allegations that the EFCC, Nigeria’s primary anti-graft agency, has been politicised and instrumentalised against opposition leaders and parties. They argue that anti-corruption enforcement has increasingly been pursued in ways that appear to disproportionately target critics of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) including investigations and detention of key figures while shielding allies of the government. This pattern, they say, risks undermining public trust in anti-corruption institutions and emboldening a drift toward one-party dominance.
Opposition leaders also urged institutional reforms including embedding anti-corruption operatives into government payment systems for transparency and establishing independent public account reviews to ensure accountability without partisan interference. They stressed that depoliticising the EFCC and similar bodies is necessary to preserve Nigeria’s democratic governance and public confidence in the rule of law.
In response, the Presidency rejected claims that state institutions are being weaponised for political purposes, asserting that freedom of association is constitutionally guaranteed and that defections to the ruling party reflect voluntary choices inspired by confidence in government reforms. The EFCC has maintained that its operations are non-partisan, urging all individuals under investigation to cooperate fully with legal processes.
