The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday detained a former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, over alleged fraud. Tambuwal, who honoured an invitation extended to him by the commission at about 11: 16am on Monday, was subsequently taken into custody.
Multiple sources told our correspondent last night that the ex-Sokoto State governor was quizzed over alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals to the tune of N189 billion.
“He wasn’t arrested as it was reported in some sections of the media. Though, when he was invited to explain what he used N189 billion for, he couldn’t explain. So, he was taken into custody.
“I think with that, people interpreted it to be an arrest. He will be with us till tomorrow pending when he will be ready to provide meaningful explanations on how he spent N189bn when he was governor.
“Do you know what N189bn can do for his state (Sokoto) or the country?, one of the sources at the commission asked.
“The withdrawals are in flagrant violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022. He will have to explain how the money was spent,” the official, who doesn’t want his name in print, said.
Daily Trust also gathered that another ex-governor, Emeka Ihedioha, has been invited by the EFCC. It was further learnt that the former governor will honour the invitation within the week. It is worthy of note that Ihedioha was the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives when Tambuwal was Speaker.
Tambuwal’s associates speaks
Meanwhile, a source who is very close to the former governor who did not want to be named alleged that the issue is “100 per cent politics”. He said the whole problem started about four months ago when some persons close to the government reached out to Tambuwal to join the Tinubu “train”.
“He consulted some of us around him and we wondered how can we in good conscience work with the government with the level of poverty and insecurity bedeviling the country, especially the northern region”, he said.
The source added that after that nothing more was heard of the issue until about three weeks ago when Tambuwal got a letter from the EFCC, saying they were making enquiries about his time as governor of Sokoto State.
“When he asked the commission to give specifics, they failed to do so. Tambuwal then asked them to reach out to the state to find out if there were things about his administration they were not comfortable with. Although they did not give specifics, we suspect it may have to do with World Bank funds disbursed during his tenure as governor. The money was paid through bank accounts and Tambuwal was actually given a clean bill of health by the World Bank,” he said.
The source said after that, the former governor received an invitation which he honoured yesterday. He added that later in the night, the EFCC agreed that the former governor could be bailed and his associates met the bail conditions, but the commission decided to keep him in custody till today.
Another source close to Tambuwal corroborated the argument of political dimension to the invitation.
The source said, “The current governor of Sokoto State was deputy governor to Tambuwal at certain time before they fell apart.
“He (Governor Aliyu Sokoto) was part of many of the decisions taken in the state during Tambuwal’s tenure as governor. So, for fairness, the EFCC ought to have mention his name in their investigation even though he has immunity for now.
“And besides Tambuwal, some of those who served under him have been invited by the EFCC for interrogation. However, what we are asking for is fairness and not vendetta. People should not be put in the spotlight for political expediency,” he said.
Another source added that a similar overture was made to the former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, about six months earlier to join the Tinubu “train” and that he also has an invitation to appear before the EFCC within the week.
In a letter dated July 18th signed by Abdukarim Chukkol, Director, Investigation at EFCC, to the Secretary to the State Government of Imo State, sighted by Daily Trust, the commission said it was investigating a case in which they needed to obtain certain information from some state government officials. They, therefore, requested the SSG to release the listed officials (names withheld) to attend an interview on August 11, 2025, at the EFCC’s headquarters. They are to be interviewed by the Head, Economic Governance Section -1, the letter stated.
“The staff are to come along with all the payment approvals, vouchers, returns and schedule of payments from May 29, 2019 to 14th January, 2020”, the letter stated.
The source said Ihedioha, who had been abroad, is now back in the country and will honour the EFCC invitation.
It would be recalled that Emeka Ihedioha, who is now a member of the ADC, served as governor of Imo State from May 29, 2019 to January 14, 2020, when the Supreme Court nullified his election and declared Hope Uzodinma, winner of the election.
Tambuwal’s alliance with Atiku, coalition-led ADC
Senator Tambuwal, though still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has aligned himself with the opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He appeared alongside prominent figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, at the coalition’s adoption of the ADC on July 2 as its platform to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election. He was also with Atiku in Daura during the burial of former president Muhammadu Buhari.
Unlike Atiku, however, Tambuwal has yet to formally resign from the PDP. He, however, remains one of Atiku’s most trusted political allies, with a partnership that extends beyond party politics into broader opposition coalition-building.
Their alliance first drew national attention during the PDP presidential primaries in 2019, when Tambuwal, after losing the contest, promptly threw his support behind Atiku in the general election against then-President Muhammadu Buhari. In 2022, Tambuwal cemented his relationship by making a dramatic, last-minute withdrawal from the PDP presidential primary on the convention floor, urging his delegates to back Atiku. The move was widely credited with securing Atiku’s victory over Nyesom Wike and other contenders.
In recent months, Tambuwal has accompanied Atiku to a series of strategic engagements, including high-profile meetings with opposition leaders. Notably, both men, along with other coalition leaders, visited former President Muhammadu Buhari as part of consultations aimed at building a coalition capable of unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Selective investigation of opposition, sign of dictatorship, ADC tells EFCC
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of carrying out what it called selective investigations, “mainly against the opposition”, describing it as a sign of dictatorship.
The coalition party also alleged that the commission is behaving like “a political hit squad for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)” and warned that “this dangerous trend is eroding public trust in the institution and undermining the real fight against corruption.”
The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said “the EFCC’s recent pattern of action, re-opening closed cases, digging up files from years past, and targeting members of opposition parties is not the work of an impartial anti-graft body. It is the work of a political enforcer.”
The party alleged that in recent days, several senior members of the opposition coalition have received EFCC summons that are clearly “politically motivated,” adding that “these are not fresh cases arising from new evidence but new files opened in reaction to emergent political affiliations to intimidate key opposition figures.”
The ADC said the EFCC was created to be a fearless defender of the Nigerian people’s trust, applying the law evenly to all, friend or foe, ruling party or opposition.
“But today, that vision appears to have been compromised”, adding that the commission now operates like a department of the APC”, deployed to fight government critics and opposition figures, thereby, achieving what the government cannot achieve through public debate. It does appear that in today’s Nigeria, one’s guilt or innocence depends on one’s party membership, not evidence.
It added that, “It does not augur well for the EFCC if people think that all you need to point the accusing hands of the commission in your direction is to stand opposed to the ruling party and all that it takes for protection is to align with the government. Unfortunately, this is the widely established perception in Nigeria today, which the commission by its recent actions, including the ongoing surreptitious harassment of opposition leaders, has given credence to”.
“The ADC, hereby, calls on Nigerians, civil society organisations and the independent media to resist this dangerous slide into dictatorship and misuse of public institutions to achieve partisan objectives. The EFCC does not belong to the APC. It belongs to the Nigerian people. It is funded by taxpayers, not the ruling party,” he said.
(DAILYTRUST)
