The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is being used by influential politicians to influence the outcome of the 2019 governorship election in Zamfara state, a coalition of civil society organisations has alleged.
The group, Zamfara Unity Forum, said it had information that Daudu Lawal, the consensus governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, has been arrested and detained by the EFCC for over a week.
In the statement signed by Usman Bungudu, convener of the forum, the group said it is part of the “grand plan” to influence the election.
“It is unfortunate that the EFCC will allow itself to be used to influence the outcome of the Zamfara Governorship election with the arrest of Mallam Lawal for reasons nobody has been told up till now,” the statement read.
“His friends and associates have reported that all efforts to reach him have proved abortive, meaning he is being kept incommunicado. How can EFCC keep someone for a week without giving information to his family?
“Information reaching us now suggests that the EFCC is planning to resurrect charges that had been dispensed with years ago, just in time to pressurise him to drop out of the governorship race in favour of the anointed candidate or somebody else.
“This is definitely a threat to this democracy. Institutions of state, such as EFCC, should never allow themselves to be used to further the political interests of certain sections.”
Abdulaziz Yari, incumbent governor of Zamfara, has allegedly been unable to get Mukhtar Idris, his commissioner of finance, to be the party’s candidate.
The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the EFCC to order so that the credibility of the 2019 general election is not called to question.