Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has warned the Federal Government against inviting, arresting or questioning the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over a corruption petition before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
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Melaye said the ADC would mobilise Nigerians against the government if Atiku was invited or arrested based on what he described as a baseless petition.
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The former senator made the statement in a video posted on his X account on Friday.
His warning followed a petition submitted to the EFCC by former House of Representatives member Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, seeking a fresh investigation into corruption allegations previously made against Atiku.
The petition, signed by Agbonayinma’s lawyer, Hannibal Uwaifo, SAN, reportedly referred to an earlier EFCC investigation and administrative report concerning allegations against the former Vice-President.
The allegations date back to 2005 and 2006, when the EFCC and an administrative panel examined claims involving abuse of office, money laundering and alleged diversion of funds connected to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.
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Atiku, who was Vice-President at the time, had denied the allegations and maintained that they were politically motivated.
On December 20, 2006, the Lagos State High Court reportedly set aside the EFCC’s administrative indictment against Atiku, ruling that the process was unconstitutional and flawed.
The allegations did not result in a criminal conviction against the former Vice-President.
The latest petition comes as Atiku prepares to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the ADC, with opposition parties and politicians seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Melaye, who is a strong supporter of Atiku and the ADC, said the opposition would resist any attempt to use the renewed petition as a basis for targeting the former Vice-President.
He warned that any invitation, arrest or interrogation of Atiku over the petition could trigger a wider response from the opposition and its supporters.
As of the time of filing the report, there was no confirmed information indicating that the EFCC had invited or arrested Atiku in connection with the renewed petition.
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