The Presidency has reaffirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains focused on addressing critical national challenges rather than engaging in political targeting.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, dismissed allegations by some opposition figures that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is being weaponised for political purposes, describing such claims as unfounded and politically motivated.
Mr Onanuga said; “the EFCC is an independent institution established by law and empowered to carry out its statutory responsibilities without interference, favour, or political consideration.”
The Presidential Spokesperson noted that those facing investigations should be prepared to defend themselves through due process rather than resorting to what he described as attempts to undermine public institutions.
“Allegations of ‘weaponisation’ are distractions from these politicians, who are running short of campaign issues to challenge President Tinubu and the APC’s success in less than three years in office.
“No one is above the law. Everyone must be accountable for their actions, both in and out of office. Political affiliation should not be a shield against EFCC statutory work, which recently led to Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list,” he explained.
The Presidential Spokesperson further said that prosecution is conducted by the courts, not by executive fiat, and that individuals found not guilty would be cleared accordingly.
The statement reads; “Also, investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have begun exposing those with some explanation to give regarding their stewardship in office and management of public funds entrusted to them. These politicians now accuse President Tinubu of weaponising the EFCC for political purposes.
“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.
“The agency’s mandate is to investigate and prosecute financial crimes, irrespective of the personalities involved, their political affiliations, or their positions in society. 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. Those who have cases to answer before EFCC should be bold and brave enough to defend themselves if they are clean.
“President Tinubu does not issue directives to any anti-corruption agency on whom to investigate, arrest, or prosecute.
“President Tinubu has significant state issues to address rather than engage in political targeting.
“The prosecution is conducted by the court, not by any sleight of hand, and those found not guilty will receive a clean bill of health.”
Responding to claims that recent political defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) threaten multi-party democracy, Mr Onanuga said Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees freedom of association and the right of citizens to change their political affiliations without coercion.
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He argued that the wave of defections reflects confidence in President Tinubu’s reform agenda, not intimidation, and questioned whether democracy was similarly endangered during past periods when politicians moved en masse to the then-dominant opposition party.
The Presidency further described allegations of “weaponisation” as a distraction by politicians running out of viable campaign issues, adding that accountability should not be politicised or trivialised.
Mr Onanuga pointed out that some signatories to the opposition statement had been investigated or prosecuted by the EFCC even before President Tinubu assumed office in 2023, while others had been implicated in international financial probes.
He said; “Nigeria’s so-called opposition politicians, comprising some of those left in a dying political party and a sprinkling of some failed political office aspirants regrouping in a platform struggling to find its bearings, are amusing lots.
“They blow hot air, seek scapegoats for their failure and move to confuse the polity in a desperate search for cheap political gains.
“On Sunday, a group of opposition figures gathered to sing their familiar tune, hoping their cheerleaders would see their action as a blistering attack from a seemingly virile opposition group.
“They alleged a threat to multi-party democracy because many top politicians are joining the governing All Progressives Congress of their own free will. Our constitution guarantees freedom of association and affords our people the right to change their political leanings at any time of their choosing.
“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.
“We may ask: when politicians were moving in droves to the now-dying Peoples Democratic Party between 2000 and 2015, was Nigeria’s democracy imperilled?”
He warned against using politics to evade accountability, insisting that no one is above the law and that political affiliation cannot serve as a shield against lawful investigation.
“The fight against corruption is a collective responsibility,” the Presidency said, urging political actors to uphold the integrity of national institutions and refrain from promoting narratives that encourage impunity.