The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of engaging in selective investigations allegedly aimed at intimidating opposition figures.

According to a statement signed by ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party claimed that in today’s Nigeria, all it seems to take to draw EFCC’s attention is to oppose the ruling party — and that aligning with the government is seen as a shield from investigation.

Omo, this one go spark plenty debates.

The statement further alleged that the EFCC’s recent actions, including what the ADC described as the “ongoing surreptitious harassment of opposition leaders,” have only strengthened public suspicion of political bias. The ADC called on Nigerians, civil society groups, and the independent media to resist what it termed a “dangerous slide into dictatorship.”

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

EFCC Fires Back

Reacting to the claims, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale dismissed them as “untenable and ridiculous,” urging the ADC to back its statements with evidence.

“The commission is non-partisan and non-sectarian… Those who did the crime should be ready to have their time in court,” Oyewale said, insisting the EFCC operates strictly within its legal mandate.

Omo, both sides no dey smile at all.

Political Ripples and Internal Cracks

According to insiders, the alleged crackdown has triggered unease within the wider opposition coalition. The Obidient Movement, led by Tanko Yunusa, accused ADC leaders of sidelining Peter Obi’s loyalists from key decisions.

Meanwhile, notable political figures including Akinwunmi Ambode, Kayode Fayemi, and Boss Mustapha have publicly reaffirmed loyalty to the APC, distancing themselves from rumours of joining the coalition.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also reportedly paused plans to join the ADC amid speculation that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan may enter the 2027 race.

ADC Leadership Shake-Up

Inside the ADC, changes are already underway. Following the resignation of Ralph Okey Nwosu, the party’s 2023 governorship candidates endorsed Nafiu Bala as Acting National Chairman. Bala pledged to rebuild party structures, strengthen internal democracy, and seek strategic alliances.

“Together, we will build a stronger, more united, and effective political party in Nigeria,” Bala said in Abuja.

Omo, 2027 never even reach, but political temperature don already dey rise.

According to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the charge arose from an incident that occurred on August 18, 2024, at Al-moruf Garden in the Isheri Olofin area of Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos. The charge stated that Emeka had tampered with N2 million issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by stepping on the notes during a social gathering, an act considered an offence under the law.

Following Emeka’s guilty plea, EFCC prosecutor Z.B. Atiku handed over the case to investigating officer Sa’id Sada Sani. Sani testified that the investigation began after a viral video showed Emeka defacing the currency. Surveillance was conducted, leading to his arrest on May 15, 2025. During questioning, Emeka was shown the video evidence and he provided a written statement.

The court accepted both the video and the written statement as evidence. Based on this, Atiku urged the court to convict the defendant. Presiding Judge Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke found Emeka guilty and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment, offering an alternative option of a N250,000 fine.

A release by Deji Adeyanju & Partners revealed that VDM and colleague Steven Avuara (aka C-Pack) were arrested just after closing the gate of the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Area 3, Garki, Abuja. The three visited the bank for an inquiry regarding unexplained deductions from the account of Mrs. Otse.

According to Avuara, there was a more than five-minute entrapment at the door of the bank before armed men in black uniforms racially assaulted them, blindfolding and ‘polygamously committing’ them. Even though EFCC did confirm Otse and Avuara’s arrest, Mrs. Otse remains unaccounted for.

The firm’s lawyers who were Marvin Omorogbe and Steven Eze were able to meet Avuara only at the EFCC headquarters. He alleged that they branded themselves as “bandits” and threatened him at gunpoint, leaving VDM traumatized.

The EFCC did present an arrest warrant for Otse on allegations of cyberstalking but refused to state any charges against Avuara. The lawyers have condemned this continued interrogation as unconstitutional and pledged to take legal action against both EFCC and GTBank.

He said, “Verydarkman also criticized the EFCC for its double standards.” The example he gave is that of an incident involving children of an industrialist, Razaq Okoya and no actions taken to arrest or prosecute them. The inconsistency, according to him, is a clear case of witch-hunting against Igbo people.

In a passionate video shared online, he expresses regret over the actions of EFCC as selective persecution and the way E-Money was arrested, wherein he noted, “About 50 men stormed E-Money’s house and that was how they arrested him… They invited Okoya’s kids but nothing was done; that case disappeared. But now you go to E-Money’s house to pick him up, saying his leg mistakenly touched the Naira?”

He further hinted that it could be an ethnically motivated arrest and called on the Igbo community to stay alert and cautious. He further added in his post on social media that “@iam_emoney1 is currently at ” alledgely at @officialefcc custody. I think I am starting to get a smell of vendetta against the Igbos.

Igbos, be careful-they are coming for you. OKOYA CHILDREN ARE STILL WALKING FREELY.”

Netizens at the moment engaged in discourse courtesy of the video with very many sounding their own voices-echoing those of Verydarkman regarding the inequality in treatment of people by the law enforcement action.

Even when it hasn’t given more vivid public release pertaining to such claims, the EFCC has continued to gain significant interest from the public.

Watch the complete video below.

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A post shared by Martins vincent otse (@verydarkblackman)

She took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted about how she had lost ₦5,000 to the scammer. She became frustrated and felt that the EFCC should be contacted through Instagram direct messages to do something about it, perhaps help trace the money she lost.

But in disappointment, she claimed that EFCC blocked her from being a nuisance on their platform rather than helping her or even acknowledging her. “I remember when someone scammed me of my hard-earned 5k and I sent a message to EFCC on IG, and they blocked me.”

Her post gained traction almost instantly and sparked mixed reactions among users. Some found the situation funny but others expressed their angst at what the agency allegedly did to her complaint, no matter the small amount involved.

“Them say that fraud no too small for them to handle ???,” wrote user @1herworld mockingly. And @foreverdebs added, “You sef go meet EFCC because of 5k.” On the contrary, @Ugochukwu_96 wondered, “Them no suppose block you sha. It is within your rights to report financial crimes no matter how small they are.”

Some of the users showed understanding in light of her experiences, claiming every naira matters in this economy. @Jayysein wrote, “Money that you worked for oh… They don’t know what you passed through for it.” But others seemed to agree with her being blocked, such as one commenter @Akingbade2: “I feel so bad to admit that they did the right thing.”

Whether or not the EFCC did block her remains under scrutiny, or there could just have been a misunderstanding; this little post on X rekindled public talks about how public institutions are treating ordinary citizens and whether enough is being done for any victims of fraud, irrespective of how big or small the amount of money involved is.

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