The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of selectively targeting opposition figures under the guise of anti-corruption efforts, alleging the commission is being used as a political tool by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party, in a statement released on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described recent EFCC actions as politically motivated and warned that such practices are damaging public confidence in the agency and weakening genuine anti-corruption efforts.

The ADC pointed to the EFCC’s reopening of old cases and issuance of summonses to senior members of the opposition coalition, asserting these moves are not based on new evidence but are intended to intimidate political opponents.

“These are not fresh cases arising from new evidence but new files opened in reaction to emergent political affiliations to intimidate key opposition figures,” Abdullahi said.

According to the party, the EFCC was established to serve as an impartial institution dedicated to protecting Nigerians’ trust by enforcing the law equally, regardless of political affiliation. However, Abdullahi argued that the commission now appears to function as an enforcement arm of the APC, targeting critics and opposition leaders in ways that the ruling party cannot achieve through open political debate.

The ADC criticised the EFCC for allegedly neglecting investigations into ruling party allies, contrasting this with what the ADC described as the commission’s focus on opposition figures based on long-dormant allegations repackaged as new evidence.

“Investigations into ruling party allies quietly fade away while opposition figures are dragged before the court of public opinion with sometimes decade-old allegations that have been hastily revived and dressed up as fresh evidence,” Abdullahi said.

He further claimed that in Nigeria’s current political climate, “one’s guilt or innocence depends on one’s party membership, not evidence.”

The ADC cited an unnamed former governor who defected to the APC, noting that EFCC investigations into his administration have seemingly ceased following the defection, while similar cases against opposition leaders continue.

Abdullahi warned that this perceived partiality fuels the belief that the EFCC’s scrutiny is politically driven and that protection from investigation is afforded by political alignment.

The ADC called on Nigerians, civil society groups, and independent media to oppose what it described as a dangerous slide toward dictatorship and the misuse of public institutions for partisan objectives.

“The EFCC does not belong to the APC. It belongs to the Nigerian people. It is funded by taxpayers, not the ruling party,” the statement emphasised.