The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Saturday accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of playing partisan politics through the revocation of bail earlier granted to Abubakar Malami, former Attorney-General of the Federation.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said in a statement that all available evidence showed that the former Attorney-General did not violate any of the legal conditions attached to his initial bail.
Malami, a chieftain of the party, is currently being investigated for alleged financial impropriety involving 46 different bank accounts linked to him.
The party said Malami’s bail was revoked only after he attended a political event, adding that the action “raises questions about the EFCC’s motive and which side of the political divide the agency is fighting, as well as whether it is violating the very laws it purports to defend.”
“Revoking his bail, especially after he attended a political rally in his home state of Kebbi, creates the inexorable impression that the action was taken to curtail his political activities rather than to pursue justice,” the statement said.
While reiterating its support for the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies in carrying out their mandates, the party warned that “selective investigation or the weaponisation of investigations against opposition leaders ultimately undermines the genuine fight against corruption and renders anti-corruption agencies complicit in the suppression of opposition and dissent.”
According to Abdullahi, “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) views the revocation of the bail of Mallam Abubakar Malami, SAN, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as politically motivated.”
The party further noted that all available evidence points to the fact that Malami did not violate any of the legal conditions attached to his initial bail.
“As a senior lawyer and former chief law officer of the country, he understands the implications of violating bail conditions. What he probably did not anticipate was that attending a political gathering in furtherance of his governorship ambition in his home state of Kebbi could form the basis for revoking his bail, despite his full cooperation with the EFCC’s investigators.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ADC regards corruption as one of the most dangerous threats to the survival of our country.
“Therefore, we fully support all genuine efforts to hold public officers accountable. However, we are deeply concerned that some actions and inactions of the EFCC give the impression that the agency is acting as a gladiator in the political arena rather than as an impartial warrior against financial malpractice.”
The party stated that by “barring a citizen from political activity, the EFCC is arrogating to itself powers it does not possess under the Constitution.
“No agency of government has the authority to suspend political rights, redraw political boundaries, or determine where a citizen’s political interests may or may not be exercised. That this restriction appears to apply only to Kebbi State leads to the inescapable conclusion that the EFCC’s real agenda is to cripple his political ambition in the state.”
Read also: EFCC investigates 46 bank accounts linked to Malami
According to the party, “politicising the fight against corruption is itself a major form of corruption.”
The ADC also drew the EFCC’s attention to Afrobarometer survey data on corruption in Nigeria released earlier in the year.
“The report rated the Presidency (the President and officials) as the third most corrupt public institution in the country, coming closely behind the police and the National Assembly, respectively.
“The ADC believes that reports such as this provide an opportunity for the EFCC to better understand the magnitude of its task and to reset its priorities, if it is truly committed to the fight against corruption.
“The ADC stands with Mallam Abubakar Malami, SAN, whom we believe is innocent of the charges against him until proven guilty by a competent court. More importantly, we demand his immediate release on bail without conditions that stifle his political rights.”
