A coalition of Northern youth groups has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of orchestrating a campaign of persecution against prominent Northern opposition figures, including Abubakar Malami.
The group, which held a press conference at Arewa House in Kaduna, claimed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is being used as a tool for selective justice and intimidation.
‘We firmly believe that President Bola Tinubu is orchestrating this malicious campaign against Abubakar Malami, his family, associates, and other opposition leaders, with the clear intention of intimidation, silencing dissent, and steering Nigeria toward a dangerous one-party state’, said Chairman of the Coalition of Northern Youth Groups, Hamza Bala.
The coalition alleged that Malami’s family members have been harassed and subjected to relentless pressure, and that the EFCC has shown institutional bias in its handling of corruption cases.
The group also pointed out double standards in the treatment of Northern opposition figures compared to their Southern counterparts, citing examples such as Betta Edu, Nyesom Wike, and Ifeanyi Okowa, who have faced corruption allegations but remain free.
The coalition demanded the immediate release of Malami, an end to the harassment of his family, and the release of all opposition figures detained by the EFCC.
They also called for an end to selective justice and the EFCC’s open hostility toward members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The group warned that the current administration’s hostility toward the North goes beyond political persecution, citing the approval of food crop imports that have crippled local agriculture and worsened poverty in Northern communities.
The coalition accused President Tinubu of selective treatment and deep-seated hostility toward the North, and alleged that the EFCC has been reduced to a political instrument.
The group reaffirmed its support for Malami and all Northern opposition leaders facing persecution, and called on all Northerners to rise in unity and defend their leaders, dignity, and collective interests.
The coalition’s demands include the immediate release of Abubakar Malami, an end to the harassment of his family members, and the release of all opposition figures currently detained by the EFCC.
The group also demanded an immediate halt to selective justice, with the EFCC compelled to investigate and prosecute all corruption cases fairly, regardless of political affiliation or region.
The coalition warned that the North will not be marginalized and that its leaders will not be destroyed through intimidation.
The group emphasised that without the North, President Tinubu wouldn’t have won the 2023 presidential election, and that the majority of the votes he secured came from the North.
