Former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has issued a strong warning to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), telling the agency not to summon Atiku Abubakar for interrogation over allegations of financial misconduct.
Melaye made the remarks during an ADC All Support Groups town hall gathering held in Abuja. The event, themed “Together We Can Build the Nigeria We Desire,” centred on grassroots mobilisation, protecting votes at polling units, and drawing more youths, women, and support groups into the party’s 2027 campaign.
The former lawmaker argued that Atiku, who deputised to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had faced scrutiny from multiple government institutions over the years without any conviction.
“Atiku was part of the government that created the EFCC. You cannot use the EFCC to torment the creator of the EFCC,” Melaye stated.
His comments followed a fresh petition by Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, a former House of Representatives member, urging the EFCC to revive investigations into alleged financial crimes involving Atiku. Through his lawyer, Hannibal Uwaifo of Sagitarian Law Firm, Agbonayinma gave the commission a 14-day deadline to act, citing an EFCC investigation and report from 2005 to 2006 when Atiku served as vice-president.
The petition also referenced a 2010 United States Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations report, which allegedly contained claims of money laundering and other financial violations linked to Atiku.
Melaye countered that Atiku had already been probed by the federal government under Obasanjo’s administration.
“I, as Dino Melaye, I am aware that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had been investigated by Olusegun Obasanjo and the federal government time and time and time and time again,” he said.
“In fact, federal government versus Atiku Abubakar, 13 cases. And Atiku Abubakar won all the 13 cases.”
The former senator then directed a warning at the anti-graft agency, vowing that the ADC would resist any politically motivated move to deploy the EFCC against Atiku.
“My note of warning is this. And this note of warning is straight to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That the day EFCC invites Atiku Abubakar before election, then Tinubu will know that government is not owned by those in government,” he said.
“Government is owned by the people. Any day, due to these frivolous petitions, you invite, arrest or interview Atiku Abubakar, and we are not saying it with fear or favour; we mean it. Invite Atiku and see trouble.”
Drawing a parallel with the 2011 uprising in Tunisia, Melaye cautioned that Nigerians could rise against a government they believed was weaponising state institutions against opposition figures.
“We will tell you that what happened in Tunisia can happen in Nigeria. We will prove to you that those in government are less than one per cent of the population of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
“We will prove to you that the people own government. Government is not owned by those in government,” he added.
The ADC chieftain maintained that Atiku had endured exhaustive scrutiny and questioned why the allegations were being revisited.
“They have investigated Atiku everywhere. The only thing they are yet to find out about Atiku is where his placenta was buried. They have done everything,” he said.
Melaye’s remarks came days after Atiku himself dismissed calls for the EFCC to reopen the allegations, noting that the matters had already been reviewed by the EFCC, an administrative panel, the National Assembly, and the courts.
Atiku stressed that no court had ever convicted him over the allegations and dared anyone with credible evidence to bring it forward for legal examination.
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