Prominent Northern Nigerian voices have responded to the arrest of former Sokoto State governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, describing the event as potentially having major political repercussions.
Some northern leaders claim that the arrest is a case of political witch-hunting, while others insist that everyone must be subject to the law.
Recall how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Aminu Tambuwal on Monday in order to question him over alleged illegal cash withdrawals totaling ₦189 billion?
Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives and two-term governor of Sokoto State, was arrested and interrogated by detectives when he appeared at the EFCC offices in Abuja at approximately 11 a.m. on Monday.
According to investigators, he violated the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022 by making sizable cash withdrawals during his tenure as governor.
Many individuals and groups have condemned the arrest. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were cited as its political motivators.
Peter Obi, a former presidential candidate for the Labour Party, denounced the arrest, stating that Nigeria’s battle against corruption needs to be fair and open. Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president, charged that the Tinubu administration was using the EFCC to intimidate and harass the opposition. The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also denounced the action, calling it a politicized ploy that undermines public trust.
Nonetheless, the EFCC claimed to have a nonpartisan mandate and to have carried out its duties cautiously and impartially. It underlined that the law is doing its job, regardless of whether the accused are members of the ruling party or the opposition.
In an exclusive interview, Northern activist and commentator Mahdi Shehu termed the arrest of former Sokoto State governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as evidence that the EFCC was engaging in naked dancing and accused the anti-graft agency of political bias.
“If it’s not political, why arrest him now when the EFCC is protecting over 43% of National Assembly members facing fraud charges, Godswill Akpabio, Bello Matawalle, Aliyu Wamakko, and some serving ministers who are facing criminal trials?”
He asserted that the agency mainly targets lawmakers from other parties, even though it defends those who are or plan to join the APC.
Shehu mentioned several prominent corruption cases where the EFCC allegedly did nothing.
He quoted the Senate Public Accounts Committee as saying that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) failed to account for ₦210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.
In this case, the EFCC pretended to be in Siesta because NNPCL is a no-go area. “The senior petroleum minister is always the president,” Shehu said.
The payments of “fraudulent millions per month” to consultants at the Central Bank of Nigeria for the turnaround maintenance of the refineries in Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt, as well as the $7 billion (₦10.4 trillion) that was missing, were also brought up by him.
He said, “Because those involved have powerful backers in the kitchen, the EFCC put cotton wool in both ears.”
Shehu also questioned why the EFCC has not investigated Power Minister Bayo Adelabu after he recently flaunted a multibillion-naira house online.
Before Tinubu’s tenure, he was barely surviving. Since then, he has built what is referred to as Government House No. 2. He asserted, however, that “EFCC will never have the guts, courage, audacity, or liver to touch him.”
He warned that the day will soon come when the hunter will become the prey and accused the EFCC of running a convenient system that makes certain Nigerians more Nigerian than others, akin to Animal Farm.
In an interview, Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada, a former candidate for the Kano House of Assembly, similarly described Tambuwal’s EFCC detention as “very unfortunate” and “purely political.”
He claimed that the anti-graft agency had given up on equality and fairness in his fight against corruption.
While opposition politicians are harassed and intimidated, he asserts that “many members of the APC also face corruption allegations but are never invited for questioning.”
Adnan believes the action stems from Tambuwal’s recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, stating that the EFCC’s attempts to fight corruption are selective and lacking in honesty and openness.
In the meantime, public affairs lawyer Rabiu Musa said that regardless of political affiliation, individuals should be honest and focus on the alleged wrongdoing when it comes to legal issues.
Did Tambuwal do anything that resulted in his detention? He said, “People should see past politics,” during an interview.
