Former Kogi West senator and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dino Melaye, has warned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against inviting the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for questioning over alleged financial crimes.
Melaye issued the warning on Thursday at the ADC All Support Groups town hall meeting in Abuja, where he criticised renewed calls for the anti-graft agency to reopen investigations into allegations involving Atiku.
The town hall, themed “Together we can Build the Nigeria We Desire”, focused on grassroots and polling-unit mobilisation, vote protection, and the participation of youths, women and support groups ahead of the party’s 2027 campaign.
Melaye argued that Atiku, who served as vice-president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had been investigated by several 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.
He was reacting to a petition by Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, a former member of the House of Representatives, asking the EFCC to reopen investigations into alleged financial crimes involving Atiku.
Agbonayinma, through his lawyer, Hannibal Uwaifo of Sagitarian Law Firm, gave the commission 14 days to act on the request. The petition was based on an EFCC investigation and report concerning Atiku between 2005 and 2006, when he was vice-president.
The petition also cited a 2010 report by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which allegedly contained allegations of money laundering and other financial crimes involving Atiku.
But Melaye insisted that Atiku had already undergone extensive investigations during the Obasanjo administration.
“I, as Dino Melaye, I am aware that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have 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.”
Melaye further warned that the ADC would resist any attempt to use the EFCC against Atiku for political purposes, particularly ahead of the 2027 election.
“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 percent 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.”
‘THEY HAVE INVESTIGATED ATIKU EVERYWHERE’
The ADC chieftain also questioned the need for fresh investigations, insisting that Atiku had already been subjected to scrutiny by several authorities.
“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 development comes days after Atiku rejected calls 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.
He also accused supporters of the Tinubu administration of reviving old allegations to divert attention from Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.
The EFCC has yet to publicly announce whether it will act on Agbonayinma’s petition.
