African Democratic Congress, on Saturday, said the revocation of the bail initially granted to the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, SAN, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is partisan politics.
ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that, from all available evidence, Malami did not violate any of the legal conditions attached to his initial bail.
The ADC spokesperson said revoking his bail, especially after he attended a political rally in his home state of Kebbi, could create the impression that the action was taken to curtail his politics rather than to pursue justice.
The party reiterated its support for the EFCC and any other anti-corruption agency to pursue its mandate of investigating crimes, but warned that selective investigation or weaponising investigations against opposition leaders would ultimately undermine the genuine fight against corruption in the country and render anti-corruption agencies complicit in the government’s suppression of opposition and dissent.
The statement read, “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) views the revocation of the bail of Mallam Abubakar Malami, SAN, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as politically motivated.
“From all available evidence, Malami did not violate any of the legal conditions attached to his initial bail. As a senior lawyer and former number one law officer in the country, he understands what it means to violate bail conditions.
“However, what he probably did not understand was that attending a political gathering in furtherance of his governorship ambition in his home state of Kebbi could be the basis for revoking his bail by the EFCC, even though he has cooperated fully with the agency’s investigators.
“For the avoidance of doubt, ADC regards corruption as one of the most dangerous threats to the very survival of our country. Therefore, we fully support any genuine efforts to hold public officers accountable. However, we are deeply concerned that some of the actions and inactions of the EFCC give the impression that the agency is a gladiator in the political arena rather than an impartial warrior against financial malpractice.
“Revoking Malami’s bail only after he had attended a political event makes one question the EFCC’s motive, and wonder on which side of the political divide the agency is fighting, and whether it is not violating the very same laws it purports to defend.
“By barring a citizen from political activity, the EFCC arrogates to itself powers it does not possess under the Constitution. No agency of government has the power to suspend political rights, redraw political boundaries, or determine where a citizen’s political interest may or may not be exercised. That this restriction applied only to Kebbi State leaves one with an inescapable conclusion that the EFCC’s real agenda is to cripple his political ambition in the state.”
The ADC drew attention of the EFCC to a corruption survey that listed the Presidency as the third most corrupt institution in Nigeria, adding that it “believes that reports such as this provide an opportunity for the EFCC to understand the magnitude of its task and reset its priorities, if it is truly committed to the fight against corruption.”
Abdullahi said the ADC was standing with Malami, “who we believe is innocent of the charges against him until declared guilty by a competent court. More importantly, we demand his immediate release on bail, without the attached conditions that stifle his political rights”.
