Ex-EFCC boss is working with opposition to incriminate Tinubu's ministers - Group

Abdulrasheed Bawa, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been accused of working in cahoots with opposition leaders and third-force actors to destabilise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration ahead of the 2027 elections.

This is according to Citizens Forum for Transparency and Integrity (CFTI) in a statement by its President, Alhaji Aminu Mustapha Gidado, in Lagos on Monday, May 12, 2025.

Describing the plot as “coordinated and sinister,” the group alleged that Bawa recently met with key opposition figures in London, where discussions were held on using his former contacts within the EFCC to target four serving ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet.

He said four ministers, including David Umahi ( Minister of Works), Atiku Bagudu (Minister of Budget and National Planning), Bello Matawalle (Minister of State for Defence) and Festus Keyamo (Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development), have been penned down for the smear campaign.

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CFTI alleged that the plan is part of a larger campaign to discredit the government and erode public trust ahead of the next electoral cycle.

“We have it on good authority that Bawa, who is still nursing bitterness over his removal from office, has now found a new political mission — to work with the opposition to paint this administration as corrupt and compromised,” the statement read.

The group expressed deep concern that the opposition plans to use state institutions to launch politically motivated probes against top federal government officials.

“From the intel available to us, we can confirm that four ministers have been deliberately selected for this smear campaign,” said Gidado.

“Three of them are former governors — David Umahi, Atiku Bagudu, and Bello Matawalle — while the fourth, Festus Keyamo, is a former minister under the Buhari administration who now holds a strategic portfolio in Tinubu’s cabinet as Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.”

The CFTI president claimed that in exchange for his role in this operation, Bawa has been promised a return to public office as National Adviser on Anti-Corruption - a newly proposed position that would oversee the EFCC, ICPC, and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CBC) if the opposition succeeds in 2027.

“We find it extremely dangerous that a man who once occupied such a sensitive position is now being positioned as a political tool in the hands of those desperate to hijack power,” Gidado said.

Group calls for investigation

The forum called on security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), to investigate the meeting held in London and monitor all back-channel activities aimed at weaponising anti-corruption institutions for political vendetta.

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“This is not just about politics. It is about protecting our democratic institutions from manipulation and abuse. Bawa may be out of office, but his network remains embedded within the system. We cannot allow such an infrastructure to be turned against loyal public servants whose only offence is their allegiance to the current government,” the statement noted.

CFTI also warned that the growing desperation in opposition ranks signals that the 2027 elections may be marred by coordinated blackmail, character assassination, and institutional sabotage if urgent steps are not taken to counter these schemes.

“We are watching a dangerous script unfold. The opposition is not preparing for elections; they are preparing for subversion. They know they can’t win at the ballot, so they’re trying to destroy from within,” Gidado stated.

He further noted that despite challenges, President Tinubu’s cabinet has made significant progress in stabilising key sectors and attracting foreign investments — achievements he said some politicians are determined to frustrate for selfish reasons.

“Is it not curious that the same ministers driving reforms in infrastructure, industrial policy, defence, and aviation are the ones being targeted? This is not a coincidence. It is a pattern of sabotage,” he added.

The group urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and to reject any narrative designed to weaken confidence in public institutions or derail the government’s momentum.

“This country belongs to all of us, and no one, not even a former EFCC chairman, should be allowed to turn anti-graft agencies into tools of political warfare. We owe our democracy more than that,” Gidado stated.

“We are citizens with no political affiliation. Our only loyalty is to truth, justice, and national stability. And we will not hesitate to speak out against those plotting in the shadows.”

CFTI concluded by pledging to continue monitoring political developments and exposing any conspiracy against the current administration or democratic order.

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