The Presidency has dismissed recent allegations by opposition politicians accusing President Bola Tinubu of undermining multi-party democracy and weaponising anti-corruption agencies, describing the claims as baseless and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said the opposition figures were engaging in “subterfuge and an empty search for scapegoats” following their political setbacks.
According to the statement, the Presidency noted that the defection of politicians to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was voluntary and constitutionally guaranteed, stressing that freedom of association allows individuals to change political affiliations at will.
“The people joining the APC are doing so of their own free will, motivated by the noticeable gains of President Bola Tinubu’s reform programme,” the statement said, adding that similar movements of politicians to the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between 2000 and 2015 did not attract claims of democratic erosion.
The Presidency also rejected accusations that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was being used to target political opponents, insisting that the agency operates independently within the ambit of the law.
While noting that it does not speak for the EFCC, the Presidency reiterated that the anti-graft agency has a statutory mandate to investigate and prosecute financial crimes regardless of political affiliation or status.
“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 defend themselves through legal channels.
The statement further emphasised that President Tinubu does not issue directives to anti-corruption agencies on whom to investigate or prosecute, noting that prosecutions are determined by the courts.
Describing allegations of “weaponisation” as distractions, the Presidency argued that such narratives stem from a lack of viable campaign issues against the Tinubu administration, which it said has recorded notable successes in less than three years in office.
The statement also recalled that some signatories to the opposition statement had previously been investigated or prosecuted by the EFCC before Tinubu assumed office in 2023, while others were allegedly implicated in international financial crime cases.
The Presidency warned against attempts to undermine national institutions for political gain, stressing that the fight against corruption remains a collective responsibility.
“No one is above the law, and political affiliation should not be a shield against accountability,” the statement said, citing Nigeria’s recent removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list as evidence of progress in the anti-corruption drive.
The statement was signed by Mr. Bayo Onanuga and dated December 14, 2025.
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