By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged Nigerians to refrain from labeling the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC), investigation of former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, as politically motivated.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, Wike said EFCC probes are part of governance and should not always be seen through the lens of politics.
“People should stop claiming that Tambuwal is being witch-hunted because he belongs to the opposition.
“Many Nigerians have been invited or investigated by the EFCC, and it does not always mean politics is involved,” he said.
Citing personal experience, Wike recalled being arrested by the EFCC in 2008 shortly after his appointment as Chief of Staff in Rivers State.
He explained that although he was charged to court, the case was eventually withdrawn due to lack of evidence.
“I’m not speaking on behalf of EFCC, but Nigerians should stop this. I was arrested in 2008 when I became Chief of Staff in 2007. I was taken to court, and we fought it until the case was withdrawn,” he recounted.
Wike stressed that while political motives are often alleged, it is wiser to allow the legal process to unfold rather than jump to conclusions.
On Tambuwal’s case, he clarified that the former governor was merely invited for questioning, a procedure that should not automatically be interpreted as a political attack.
“Even in Tambuwal’s case, he was only invited by the EFCC, just like many others have been in the past. This does not mean it is political,” Wike maintained.