Dino Melaye warns FG: Arrest Atiku, ADC will prove Nigerians > govt
Former Kogi West senator Dino Melaye warned the Federal Government on September 11, 2026, not to arrest, invite, or interrogate ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar over frivolous corruption petitions. In a video on his X page, Melaye said the African Democratic Congress would prove that Nigerians are more than the government if Atiku is targeted, claiming officials constitute less than one percent of Nigeria's population.
The warning follows a petition by former House of Representatives member Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, who asked the EFCC to reopen corruption investigations against Atiku. The petition, signed by Hannibal Egbe Uwaifo SAN, alleges that between 2005 and 2006, the EFCC and an administrative panel probed Atiku for alleged money laundering, abuse of office, and diversion of about $135 million from the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF). That investigation contributed to a political fallout between Atiku and former President Olusegun Obasanjo. On December 20, 2006, a Lagos State High Court set aside the EFCC's administrative indictment, ruling it unconstitutional and flawed.
Melaye's statement raises concerns about renewed legal pressure on opposition figures and the potential politicization of anti-corruption agencies. With Nigeria's 2027 elections approaching, such actions could affect political competition and public trust in institutions. Will the FG heed the warning and avoid reopening a case already dismissed by the courts, or risk reigniting a divisive political saga?