The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has denounced the arrest and detention of former Sokoto State Governor and senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly making fraudulent cash withdrawals of N189 billion.
Tambuwal, who arrived at the EFCC Abuja headquarters around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, was still being interrogated as of the time of filing this report. He is to tell the authorities why he allegedly made suspicious withdrawals while in office, which the investigators said contravene the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Even though EFCC Spokesperson Dele Oyewale declined to comment, top commission officials affirmed that Tambuwal was held, stating, “We have reserved all the allegations for Tambuwal; he is left to respond.”
Reacting in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC leveled allegations of political tool of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against the EFCC, charging selective persecution of opposition politicians. The party claimed reopening of old cases and recall of decade-old allegations as a way of intimidating opposition politicians and shielding ruling party members from investigation.
We have witnessed how investigations into members of the ruling party simply wither away, while others belonging to the opposition are dragged to the court of public opinion. That is selective prosecution and selective prosecution kills justice,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC also cited one of the past governors whose case was allegedly dropped upon switching sides to the APC, cautioning that double standards therefore erode public trust and water down democracy. It called on civil society and the media to resist politicisation of state institutions.
The Senate has remained silent over Tambuwal’s arrest. Efforts at getting comments from Senate spokesmen and chairmen of committees on anti-corruption were abortive.
Abbakar Shekarau, the former media aide to Tambuwal and his former boss, declared unequivocally that Tambuwal is innocent and will “come out clean,” saying, “If nobody accuses Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of any kind of financial misconduct or whatever in nearly two decades, I ask why now. We are very sure he will come out clean.”
