The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of being used by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to fight political opponents.

ADC, in a statement by interim National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, noted that following Monday’s overnight detention of former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, the commission has extended an invitation to Imo State government officials, urging them to provide information on the seven-month tenure of Emeka Ihedioha when he served as state governor.

This, the party said, is clear evidence that the EFCC is out on a hatchet job, “a choreographed media trial targeted at bringing coalition leaders to disrepute.”

It also wondered why the anti-graft agency had suddenly found an ‘Urgent’ reason to investigate David Mark ten years after leaving office as President of the Senate.

Just like Mark, ADC noted that the EFCC suddenly remembered to investigate Ihedioha more than five years after his brief tenure as governor, and Tambuwal two years after leaving office as Sokoto governor.

The party stated that the pattern of the EFCC ignoring APC stalwarts with fresher and well-documented cases, while targeting opposition figures with stale allegations, is proof of selective justice and an assault on political freedom.

ADC also accused the EFCC of media trial, to discredit opposition leaders, and wondered what makes the investigation of Ihedioha’s tenure as Imo State governor “urgent” five years after he left office.

“The EFCC has now surreptitiously started excavating all the files from the ADC Chairman, Senator David Mark’s tenure as President of the Nigerian Senate.

“Let us remind Nigerians that our party Chairman, Senator Mark, served as the Senate President for eight years, from June 6, 2007, to June 6, 2015, making him the longest-serving Senate President in our history.

“He left office 10 years and two months ago. Three Senate Presidents after, the EFCC suddenly remembered that he was a Senate President,” the ADC noted.

The party stated that while it stands for adherence to the rule of law and due process, it questions the timing, selective targets, and political motivations that now seem to define the EFCC’s actions.

A fight against corruption that begins and ends with the opposition, ADC said, is not justice but persecution.

“We have no doubts that this is witch-hunting; it is the APC government weaponising anti-corruption to do its political battle,” it added.

According to the party, having failed to stop the coalition, the ruling party’s next move is to discredit coalition leaders is by getting the EFCC to accuse them of looting the entire treasury.

“These are calculated media trials, which start and end with the accusation, the scandal, and the consequent lowering of public estimation.

“It matters little whether there is a basis for these accusations; the game is the circus show,” the party warned.