Melaye threatens mass action if Atiku is arrested over corruption petition

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 before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Melaye said the ADC would prove that Nigerians were more than those in government if Atiku was invited or arrested over what he described as a frivolous petition.

He stated this in a video shared on his X account on Friday.

“This is our note of warning, if due to this frivolous petitions 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 percent 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 a 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 referenced an earlier EFCC investigation and report on allegations involving Atiku.

The allegations date back to 2005 and 2006, when the EFCC and an administrative panel investigated claims of abuse of office, money laundering and the alleged diversion of funds linked to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.

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Atiku, who was Vice-President at the time, 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 it as unconstitutional and flawed.

No criminal conviction resulted from the allegations.

The renewed petition comes as Atiku prepares to contest the 2027 presidential election under the ADC, amid efforts by opposition politicians to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress.

Melaye, a prominent supporter of Atiku and the ADC, said the opposition would resist any attempt to use the petition to target the former Vice-President.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no confirmed indication that the EFCC had invited or arrested Atiku over the petition.