The Presidency has dismissed claims by opposition politicians alleging that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is weakening Nigeria’s multi-party democracy and deploying anti-corruption agencies for political ends, describing the accusations as unfounded and driven by partisan interests.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said the opposition was resorting to “subterfuge and an empty search for scapegoats” in response to its dwindling political fortunes.
The statement said that recent defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were neither forced nor orchestrated, but rather a product of constitutional freedoms that allow citizens to align with any political party of their choice.
“The people joining the APC are doing so of their own free will, motivated by the noticeable gains of President Bola Tinubu’s reform programme,” the statement said. It added that mass defections to the then-dominant Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between 2000 and 2015 did not provoke similar allegations of democratic decline.
On claims that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is being used to harass opposition figures, the Presidency insisted that the agency functions independently and strictly within the framework of the law.
“It is curious that those who claim to want to rescue Nigeria are now waging a war against accountability and probity,” the statement said.
The Presidency further said that President Tinubu does not instruct any anti-corruption body on who to arrest, investigate or prosecute, adding that judicial authorities ultimately determine the outcome of such cases.
It described allegations of “weaponisation” as deliberate distractions, arguing that the opposition was struggling to raise credible issues against an administration it said has posted measurable achievements in under three years.
