The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are also facing corruption trials, dismissing criticisms that its anti-corruption drive is targeted at opposition party members.

In a statement on Monday, the anti-graft agency said, “Suspects of corrupt practices from the ruling party, opposition party, and non-partisan actors have no immunity and are being equally investigated and prosecuted by the EFCC.

“A checklist of arrests and prosecutions by the commission in the last two years under the current leadership shows that strong members of the ruling party, such as former governors, ministers, and others not publicly known, are sharing tables with a motley number of opposition politicians as well and others.”

The commission stressed that claims of the weaponisation of the EFCC, erosion of its independence, persecution of opposition politicians, and the politicisation of its operations are deliberate misrepresentations of the anti-graft agency’s task of bringing suspects to book.

“This mandate is about tackling corruption and not any imaginary adversary or political motive,” it stated.

“Where is persecution in asking a suspect of corrupt practice to account for his sleaze? Are stealing, embezzlement of public funds, contract fraud, money laundering, and other corrupt practices excusable for some? Corruption has no gender, religion, tribe, political party, or other extraneous alignment,” the EFCC said.

It added, “Selective outrage cannot be a defence against criminal investigation for graft. The crucial question is, are opposition politicians being investigated or prosecuted by the commission, wrongly accused?”

This comes hours after opposition leaders Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, David Mark, Lawal Batagawara, Bode George, and John Odigie-Oyegun accused the EFCC of “persecution of perceived political adversaries.”

In a joint statement on Sunday, they called for an amendment to the act establishing the commission to “expose the EFCC’s pattern of selective prosecution of opposition figures and reveal that many current officials of the federal government and those of ruling-party-controlled states should have long been prosecuted for economic and financial crimes but were shielded due to their political affiliation.”

The African Democratic Congress had alsocriticised the EFCC for allegedly revoking the bail granted to a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, describing the action as partisan politics rather than enforcement.

The party, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said that evidence showed that Mr Malami never violated the conditions attached to his bail, insisting that the action lacked legal justification.

Mr Abdullahi warned that revoking bail after Mr Malami reportedly attended a political rally in Kebbi created the impression that EFCC acted to curtail his governorship ambition.

He said the alleged revocation “raises questions about the EFCC’s motive and which side of the political divide the agency is fighting, as well as whether it is violating the very laws it purports to defend.”