Showunmi to Atiku, Obi: EFCC probes not a threat to democracy

Former spokesman for Vice President Atiku Abubakar during the build-up to the 2019 presidential election, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has said the arrest and investigation of former public officials by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other federal agencies should not be seen as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy or an attempt to suppress opposition leaders.

Showunmi said the real danger to democracy lies in attempts by some political actors to present opposition status as immunity from arrest and prosecution for alleged offences.

The former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State in the 2023 general elections made the remarks on Monday, reacting to concerns raised by leading opposition figures who on Sunday warned of an increasing threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.

The Nation reports that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, former APC National Chairman and ex-Edo State governor Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, PDP leader Chief Bode George and others had, in a joint statement, alleged that state institutions, particularly the EFCC, the Nigeria Police and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), were being used to intimidate and weaken opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

They also warned that Nigeria was drifting towards a de facto one-party state through pressure on opposition governors and political actors rather than through a transparent democratic process.

However, in a statement to The Nation, Showunmi, who is the Convener of The Alternative, a movement advocating credible leadership, good governance, and accountability, said anti-corruption efforts are neither anti-opposition nor acts of persecution.

He stressed that being in the opposition does not confer a licence to steal or protection from accountability, adding that investigation should not be mistaken for persecution.

According to him, the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies are legally obligated to investigate allegations of economic and financial crimes.

Showunmi said Nigeria must not sacrifice the rule of law for political convenience, noting that those with clean records have nothing to fear, while former public officials with questions to answer should do so before the law.

He said, “Nigeria’s democracy is not under threat because public officials are being investigated. It is under threat when political actors attempt to weaponise opposition status as immunity from the law.

“The Constitution mandates the state to abolish corruption and abuse of power. It does not create exemptions for opposition leaders, former office holders, or political coalitions. The only immunity recognised by law is limited and temporary, and it ends when a public officer leaves office.

“Investigation is not persecution. The EFCC and other anti-graft agencies are legally bound to investigate allegations of economic and financial crimes. Investigation, arrest, and prosecution carried out within the law do not violate fundamental rights.

“Calling an investigation victimisation does not make it so. What truly threatens Nigeria’s multiparty democracy is the attempt to intimidate or delegitimise anti-corruption institutions whenever probes involve politically exposed persons.

“Democracy does not mean freedom from scrutiny. It means submission to the law, especially by those who once held public trust.”

Source: The Nation