The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised the alarm over alleged plans by politicians in both the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties to undermine the anti-graft agency ahead of the 2027 general election.

The anti-graft also alleged that a coalition of politicians, academics, self-styled civil society activists and some Nigerian fugitives in the diaspora had been recruited to orchestrate sponsored media attacks against its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and the institution.

“A motley crowd of paid jobbers comprising politicians, academics, so-called civil society activists and some Nigerian fugitives in the diaspora have been recruited by these disgruntled elements to orchestrate campaigns of calumny through sponsored media attacks targeting the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, and the institution itself with phantom allegations of political bias,” the statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said. 

The EFCC said the campaign is designed to portray the commission as politically biased.

It explained that the campaign is also aimed at distracting the anti-graft agency from its mandate and intimidating it into avoiding investigations of “opposition politicians” for fear of being labelled partisan.

The EFCC warned that the campaign is expected to intensify as political activities heighten in the build-up to the 2027 general election.

“Their objective is to befuddle the work of the Commission and, through scaremongering, intimidate it into a timid mode where it will be afraid to investigate opposition politicians for fear of being labelled partisan,” it said. 

However, the commission said it was closely monitoring the activities of those involved and would not tolerate any attempt to distract it from its responsibility of promoting public accountability.

Reiterating its non-political stance, the EFCC stressed that its operations are guided strictly by its Establishment Act, noting that political affiliation offers no protection against investigation or prosecution.

“As a matter of fact, several strong members of both the ruling and opposition parties are either facing trial before the courts or are under investigation by the commission,” it said.