The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on administrative bail, less than 24 hours after his arrest over alleged fraudulent withdrawals totalling ₦189bn.
Tambuwal, who also served as Speaker of the House of Representatives, had honoured an EFCC invitation on Monday, arriving at the commission’s Abuja headquarters shortly after 11 a.m. He was grilled for hours over transactions the anti-graft agency claims contravened the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, before being detained overnight.
Sources at the EFCC confirmed that the PDP chieftain met his bail conditions and was freed on Tuesday afternoon. EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached for official comment.
The case has triggered a political storm, with leading opposition figures accusing the Tinubu administration of using the EFCC as a weapon against perceived political enemies.
Former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, described Tambuwal’s arrest as “politically motivated” and part of “a broader agenda to harass, intimidate and decimate the opposition.”
“It is only because he is a member of the opposition coalition,” Atiku wrote on X, warning that such actions threaten Nigeria’s democratic stability.
The Sokoto State chapter of the PDP echoed the accusation, alleging that the arrest was a ploy to tarnish Tambuwal’s image and force defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Similarly, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused the EFCC of “selective prosecution,” citing the targeting of Tambuwal alongside other prominent opposition leaders.
EFCC sources said that the investigation will continue, with more witnesses expected to be invited in the coming days.
Tambuwal’s camp has yet to issue a formal statement, but political analysts believe the case could further strain relations between the ruling APC and the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
