Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Former senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, has warned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against inviting Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for questioning over alleged financial crimes.
Melaye spoke at the ADC All Support Groups town hall meeting in Abuja, where he criticised calls for the anti-graft agency to reopen investigations into allegations against the former vice president.
The town hall, organised under the theme ‘Together We Can Build the Nigeria We Desire’, focused on grassroots and polling-unit mobilisation, vote protection and the inclusion of youths, women and support groups in the party’s 2027 campaign.
Melaye said Atiku, who served as vice president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had been investigated by various government institutions over the years without being convicted.
“Atiku was part of the government that created the EFCC. You cannot use the EFCC to torment the creator of the EFCC,” he said.
The former lawmaker was reacting to a recent petition by Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, a former member of the House of Representatives, asking the EFCC to reopen investigations into alleged crimes involving Atiku.
Agbonayinma, through his lawyer, Hannibal Uwaifo of Sagitarian Law Firm, gave the commission 14 days to act on the request, which was based on an EFCC investigation and report concerning Atiku between 2005 and 2006, when he was vice-president.
The petition also referenced a 2010 report by the United States Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations, alleging that it contained allegations of money laundering and other financial crimes involving Atiku.
Melaye, however, said Atiku had already faced investigations by the federal government during the Obasanjo administration.
“I, as Dino Melaye, I am aware that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had been investigated by Olusegun Obasanjo and the federal government time and time and time and time again,” he said.
“In fact, federal government versus Atiku Abubakar, 13 cases. And Atiku Abubakar won all the 13 cases.”
The former lawmaker then issued a warning to the anti-graft commission, saying the ADC would resist any attempt to use the EFCC against Atiku for political reasons.
“My note of warning is this. And this note of warning is straight to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That the day EFCC invites Atiku Abubakar before election, then Tinubu will know that government is not owned by those in government,” he said.
“Government is owned by the people. Any day, due to these frivolous petitions, you invite, arrest or interview Atiku Abubakar, and we are not saying it with fear or favour; we mean it. Invite Atiku and see trouble.”
Citing the 2011 Tunisia revolution, Melaye cautioned that Nigerians could challenge the government if they believed state institutions were being used against opposition figures.
“We will tell you that what happened in Tunisia can happen in Nigeria. We will prove to you that those in government are less than one per cent of the population of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
“We will prove to you that the people own government. Government is not owned by those in government,” he added.
The ADC chieftain insisted that Atiku had been subjected to extensive scrutiny and questioned the need to revisit the allegations.
“They have investigated Atiku everywhere. The only thing they are yet to find out about Atiku is where his placenta was buried. They have done everything,” he said.
The comments came days after Atiku himself rejected the call for the EFCC to reopen the allegations, saying the matters had previously been examined by the EFCC, an administrative panel, the National Assembly and the courts.
Atiku said no court had convicted him over the allegations and challenged anyone with credible evidence against him to present it for legal scrutiny.
The former vice president also accused supporters of the Tinubu administration of revisiting old allegations to divert attention from the country’s economic and security challenges.
The EFCC has yet to publicly announce whether it will act on Agbonayinma’s petition.