The Presidency has dismissed allegations by opposition politicians that President Bola Tinubu is undermining Nigeria’s multi-party democracy and using anti-corruption agencies to target political opponents, describing the claims as unfounded and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said the opposition was engaging in “subterfuge and an empty search for scapegoats” following recent political developments.
The statement said defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were voluntary and constitutionally protected, stressing that freedom of association allows politicians to change party affiliation. According to the Presidency, those joining the APC are motivated by what it described as the gains of President Tinubu’s reform agenda.
It added that similar defections occurred during the years when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power without accusations of democratic erosion.
The Presidency also rejected claims that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is being used to harass opposition figures, insisting that the agency operates independently in line with its statutory mandate.
While noting that it does not speak for the EFCC, the Presidency said the commission is empowered to investigate and prosecute financial crimes regardless of political affiliation, adding that President Tinubu does not direct anti-corruption agencies on whom to investigate or prosecute.
“It is curious that those who claim to want to rescue Nigeria are now waging a war against accountability and probity,” the statement said, urging individuals facing investigation to seek redress through the courts.
The Presidency described allegations of the “weaponisation” of anti-graft agencies as distractions, arguing that they reflect a lack of credible campaign issues against the Tinubu administration, which it said has recorded notable achievements in less than three years.
It also noted that some signatories to the opposition statement had been investigated or prosecuted by the EFCC before Tinubu assumed office in 2023, while others were allegedly linked to international financial crime cases.
Warning against efforts to undermine national institutions for political purposes, the Presidency reaffirmed its commitment to the fight against corruption, stating that no individual is above the law.
The statement cited Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list as evidence of progress in the anti-corruption drive and was signed by Mr Onanuga on December 14, 2025.
