Melaye To EFCC: “Invite Atiku And See Trouble” — Opposition Threatens Mass Action Over Renewed PTDF Probe
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has launched a fierce warning at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), declaring that any attempt to arrest or interrogate former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar will trigger massive civil unrest across the country.
Speaking on Thursday at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) All Support Groups town hall meeting in Abuja, Melaye condemned a fresh petition aimed at resurrecting decade-old corruption allegations against Atiku. He characterized the anti-graft agency’s renewed interest as a desperate, politically motivated assault designed to cripple opposition forces ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The political storm erupted following a September 1, 2026, petition filed by former lawmaker Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma. The petition urges the EFCC to reopen a case concerning the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) dating back to 2005. Atiku has vehemently dismissed the move, noting that a Lagos State High Court completely set aside those administrative indictments in December 2006.
Melaye did not mince words during his address, drawing a stark parallel to the historic 2011 Tunisian revolution to caution the federal government against overreaching.
“Invite Atiku and see trouble,” Melaye warned in a video broadcasted across his social media networks. “The EFCC must not be weaponized as a tool for political intimidation. The government belongs to the people, and the opposition will not sit idly by while state institutions are used to suppress alternative voices.”
As tensions rise between opposition coalitions and the ruling administration, legal analysts and political observers await the EFCC’s next move. Meanwhile, Atiku’s media team maintains that the renewed probe is a lawless distraction meant to fracture a stabilizing opposition front.
