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A coalition of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures has raised the alarm over what it describes as a dangerous and calculated descent into authoritarianism, accusing the Tinubu administration of turning anti-corruption agencies into instruments of political persecution aimed at silencing dissent and dismantling multiparty democracy.

In a blistering joint statement signed by former Senate President David Mark, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party leader Peter Obi, former APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, Chief Bode George and Mallam Lawal Batagarawa, the opposition warned that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Police and the ICPC are increasingly being deployed not to fight corruption, but to intimidate, harass and break the opposition.

According to the leaders, Nigerians are witnessing an unprecedented abuse of state power in which anti-graft institutions are allegedly being used to coerce opposition governors and key political figures into defecting to the ruling APC, not through persuasion or ideology, but through fear. Recent defections, they argue, have only reinforced public suspicion that corruption probes are selectively activated to weaken opposition strongholds ahead of the 2027 general election.

The statement described the unfolding pattern as a “covert, undemocratic agenda” designed to place all state governments under the control of the President’s party, warning that such a project, if unchecked, could fatally damage Nigeria’s democratic foundation.

At the centre of the controversy is the EFCC, which the opposition leaders accused of abandoning its statutory mandate in favour of selective justice. They recalled the now-infamous remark by a former APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, that once politicians join the ruling party, “all your sins are forgiven,” noting that the comment has since taken on the weight of reality.

To underscore their point, they cited cases of former ministers implicated in serious scandals who resigned under public pressure but have since faced no charges, while remaining active within the ruling party’s political machinery. In contrast, opposition figures, they argued, are routinely subjected to aggressive investigations, media trials and public humiliation over allegations that often remain unproven.

The opposition further alleged that defectors rewarded with federal appointments are being used as political wrecking balls, funded, allegedly, with state resources to destabilise opposition parties, sponsor factions and manipulate judicial processes in favour of the ruling party.

Warning that the independence of the EFCC is being dangerously eroded, the leaders cautioned that sustained injustice and selective law enforcement could trigger serious political instability as the country moves closer to another election cycle.

They demanded the immediate depoliticisation of the EFCC, insisting that the agency must be insulated from presidential or party control and returned to its lawful role of preventing and prosecuting economic crimes without fear or favour. They also called for preventive anti-corruption mechanisms, including embedding EFCC operatives in government payment processes at all levels, and amending the EFCC Act to strengthen oversight and accountability.

In a far-reaching proposal, the opposition called on the Attorney-General and the National Assembly to establish an independent review body to audit public accounts at the federal, state and local government levels from 2015 to 2025. The proposed body, to be chaired by a respected judge and comprising representatives of civil society, professional bodies, security agencies and all political parties in the National Assembly, would expose patterns of selective prosecution and recommend reforms to Nigeria’s anti-graft framework.

The leaders also warned against any attempt to turn Nigeria into a de facto one-party state, drawing parallels with Lagos, where they allege opposition politics has been systematically strangled over the last 25 years through coercion and inducement.

Calling on Nigerians to rise above fear and apathy, the signatories urged citizens across political, ethnic and religious lines to defend democracy. Quoting Edmund Burke and Martin Luther King Jr., they warned that silence in the face of injustice is itself a crime, and that history would judge harshly those who stood by while democratic institutions were hollowed out.

The opposition announced plans to engage international partners, diplomatic missions and foreign anti-corruption agencies to draw attention to what they described as the growing abuse of Nigeria’s anti-graft institutions.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us,” the statement declared, “not to a single party or a single leader,” warning that the battle being fought is not about opposition versus government, but about the survival of Nigeria’s democracy itself.