THE hallmark of a functioning democracy is the impartial application of the law. However, in Nigeria, the line between prosecutorial diligence and political vendetta has become increasingly blurred.
The recent sudden “resurrection” of cases against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following his public fallout with the Presidency, has cast a long, dark shadow over the integrity of Nigeria’s premier anti-corruption and security institutions.
For over three years, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai moved with the untouchable grace of an inner-circle elite. As the Director-General of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign, his stewardship of Kaduna State—now under intense scrutiny for an alleged ₦432 billion financial discrepancy—was seemingly a non-issue for the EFCC and ICPC.
The sudden “judicial awakening” of these agencies, culminating in a dramatic airport confrontation on February 11, 2026, and a subsequent residence raid by the ICPC on February 19, marks a curious coincidence.
It was only after El-Rufai vehemently rejected the President’s second-term bid and critiqued the administration’s policies on national television that the “agents of terror,” as critics describe the more aggressive wings of the DSS, were unleashed. This sequence suggests a disturbing “selective amnesia” where corruption only becomes visible once loyalty expires.
*The “Forgiveness” Doctrine: Joining the APC Sanctuary*
The current administration appears to be strictly adhering to the “Oshiomhole Doctrine.” In 2019, Adams Oshiomhole, then-APC National Chairman, famously declared, “Once you join the APC, your sins are forgiven.” This unwritten rule has manifested in a series of questionable legal withdrawals and high-profile nominations. In the case of Ayodele Oke, the former NIA Director-General, who is central to the 2017 “Osborne Towers” scandal where over $43 million was found in a Lagos apartment, has seen his legal troubles vanish.
Despite being dismissed and declared wanted in the past, he was recently nominated and appointed for an ambassadorial role—a move that signifies a total rehabilitation of those once labeled “corrupt” by the state.
The Federal Government’s recent trend of withdrawing criminal cases against political heavyweights like Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and others raises concerns of a “quid pro quo” governance style. Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, who faced his own share of EFCC probes, is now perceived as the administration’s legislative enforcer, presiding over what some call “obnoxious and archaic” laws in exchange for judicial immunity.
*Yahaya Bello and the “Presidential” Treatment*
In stark contrast to the aggressive pursuit of El-Rufai, the case of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello offers a study in soft-pedaling. Despite being accused of diverting ₦80.2 billion, Bello’s trial has been marked by significant delays and a conspicuous lack of the “commando-style” tactics used against others. This disparity in treatment—where one former governor is hounded at an airport while another is afforded the luxury of a slow-moving judicial carousel—undermines public trust in the EFCC’s claim of impartiality.
*Institutional Credibility in Crisis*
When the DSS, EFCC, and ICPC are perceived as tools for settling political scores rather than guardians of the national treasury, the very foundation of the Republic is at risk. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done without the tint of partisan bias. If the hunt for corruption only begins when a politician says “No” to a second-term ambition, then what we are witnessing is not a war on graft, but a war on dissent.
Institutional Status Comparison (2026)
The mandate of these governmental institutions is to protect the State, not the temporary occupants of the State House. Until accountability is applied equally to the “saints” in the ruling party and the “sinners” in the opposition, Nigeria’s anti-corruption war will remain a theatrical performance in the shadow of darkness.
Dr. Drama contributed this piece from NO, 12 Okotienor Street, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria
