Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, has warned the Federal Government against inviting, arresting or interrogating the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over a corruption petition submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Melaye threatened mass action if the former Vice-President is arrested or invited for questioning, saying the ADC and its supporters would resist what he described as an attempt to use a “frivolous petition” to target Atiku ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The former senator issued the warning in a video shared on his X account on Friday.
“This is our note of warning, if due to this frivolous petition you invite, arrest, or interview Atiku Abubakar, and we are not saying it with fear or favour, we will prove to you that those in government are less than one per cent of the population of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We will prove to you that the people own government,” Melaye said.
His comments followed a petition submitted to the EFCC by former member of the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, calling on the anti-graft agency to reopen corruption allegations against Atiku dating back to his tenure as Vice-President.
The petition, signed on Agbonayinma’s behalf by his lawyer, Hannibal Uwaifo, SAN, reportedly referred to an earlier EFCC investigation and report concerning allegations against the former Vice-President.
The allegations date back to 2005 and 2006, when the EFCC and an administrative panel investigated claims bordering on abuse of office, money laundering and alleged diversion of funds linked to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.
Atiku, who was Vice-President at the time, had denied wrongdoing and described the allegations as politically motivated.
A Lagos State High Court, on December 20, 2006, set aside the EFCC’s administrative indictment against Atiku, describing the process as unconstitutional and flawed.
No criminal conviction resulted from the allegations.
The renewed petition comes as Atiku prepares to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the ADC, which is positioning itself as a major opposition force against President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress.
Melaye, a prominent supporter of Atiku and the ADC, said the opposition would not remain silent if the petition resulted in the invitation or arrest of the former Vice-President.
The development has also added a fresh political dimension to the corruption allegations, coming ahead of the 2027 election and amid heightened political activities by opposition parties and their candidates.
However, as of the time of filing this report, there was no confirmed indication that the EFCC had invited or arrested Atiku in connection with the renewed petition.
