Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against any attempt to invite, arrest, or interrogate the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking via a video broadcast posted to his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday morning, September 11, 2026, Melaye cautioned that any state apparatus deployed against the former Vice-President over what he termed “frivolous petitions” would provoke a massive public response.
”This is our note of warning: if, due to these frivolous petitions, you invite, arrest, or interview Atiku Abubakar, and we are not saying it with fear or favor, we will prove to you that those in government are less than one percent of the population of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Melaye declared. “We will prove to you that the people own the government.”
The political friction follows a petition submitted to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. The petition was authored by former House of Representatives member Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma through his legal counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Hannibal Uwaifo.
The filing urges the anti-graft agency to reopen investigations into corruption, money laundering, and abuse of office allegations against Atiku stemming from his tenure as Vice-President between 1999 and 2007.
The petitioner specifically highlighted claims linked to the administration of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) between 2005 and 2006.
Agbonayinma’s legal team issued a 14-day ultimatum for the EFCC to act on the submission, threatening to initiate legal proceedings to compel action if the agency fails to respond.
Atiku Abubakar has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the allegations are political fabrications meant to derail his ambitions ahead of the upcoming 2027 presidential election.
Historically, the administrative indictment issued by the EFCC in 2006 regarding the PTDF affair was formally set aside by a Lagos State High Court on December 20, 2006. The court ruled that the administrative panel’s process was unconstitutional, and the matter never resulted in a criminal conviction.
As of press time, neither the EFCC nor representatives of the Federal Government have issued an official response to Senator Melaye’s statements or confirmed whether an investigation into the petition will be opened.
