Former Kogi West senator Dino Melaye has warned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against inviting former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for questioning over longstanding allegations of financial crimes.
Melaye spoke at the African Democratic Congress, ADC, All Support Groups town hall meeting in Abuja, where he criticised calls for the anti-graft agency to reopen investigations into allegations involving Atiku.
Melaye argued that Atiku, who served as vice-president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had faced investigations by 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.
Melaye was reacting to a petition by former House of Representatives member Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma asking the EFCC to reopen investigations and prosecute Atiku over alleged financial crimes. 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. It also referenced a 2010 report by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that contained allegations involving money laundering and other financial crimes.
The allegations cited in the petition have not resulted in a criminal conviction against Atiku. Melaye maintained that Atiku had already been repeatedly investigated during and after 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 then warned that the ADC would oppose what he described as any politically motivated attempt to deploy the EFCC against Atiku ahead of the 2027 elections.
“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. NigerianBusiness Directory
“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 Tunisian revolution, Melaye suggested 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.”
Melaye also questioned why allegations against Atiku should be revisited after what he described as years of investigations. “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.
Atiku had earlier rejected calls for the EFCC to reopen the allegations, saying the matters had previously been examined by the anti-graft agency, an administrative panel, the National Assembly and the courts. The former vice-president said no court had convicted him over the allegations and challenged anyone possessing credible evidence against him to submit it for legal scrutiny.
Atiku also accused supporters of President Bola Tinubu’s administration of reviving old allegations in an attempt to divert attention from Nigeria’s economic and security challenges. The EFCC has not publicly announced whether it will act on Agbonayinma’s petition.