EFCC Chairman Olukoyede Denies Political Vendetta in Okowa Probe, Affirms Anti-Corruption Focus

Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), firmly rejected claims that the agency is being used for political vendetta or to coerce opposition figures into joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in the investigation of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, as stated during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, reported by The Nation, Punch, TheCable, and Channels Television. Olukoyede emphasized that the EFCC’s probe of Okowa, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on April 23, 2025, alongside Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, is unrelated to his political switch and is driven by allegations of financial misconduct, per TheCable and Punch.

Olukoyede stated, “I’m very sure that Nigerians will attest to the fact that politics has not been introduced into the mandate of EFCC… I am not a politician; and as far as I know, no member of my operative is deeply involved in politics,” per The Nation. He clarified that the EFCC’s mandate is to investigate financial crimes impartially, saying, “My mandate is: if I discovered or it is alleged you have stolen money, you’ll have a case to answer,” and noted that more APC members than opposition figures have faced high-profile prosecutions, per Punch. Regarding Okowa’s case, he stressed, “For the particular case you mentioned, you will agree with me that we started that investigation way back. So for somebody to have now introduced politics into it, such a person is not fair to EFCC,” per TheGuildNG.

The EFCC’s investigation into Okowa, initiated before his defection, centers on the alleged diversion of N1.3 trillion in 13% oil derivation funds from 2015 to 2023 and N40 billion reportedly used to acquire shares in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas, with additional probes into estate acquisitions in Abuja and Asaba, per THISDAYLIVE and Pulse Nigeria. Okowa, arrested on November 4, 2024, in Port Harcourt and released on bail on November 6 after surrendering his passport, denied the allegations, calling them “ludicrous” and politically motivated, per Daily Trust and Tribune Online.

Olukoyede highlighted the EFCC’s anti-corruption achievements, including recovering N248 billion, $105 million, and securing 3,455 convictions in the past year, per P.M. News. He also addressed internal reforms, removing 27 “bad eggs” to ensure integrity, and establishing the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) department to prevent corruption in government processes, per The Nation and P.M. News. X posts, such as @channelstv and @TheNationNews, quoted Olukoyede asserting, “If we discover that you have stolen money, you will have questions to answer, regardless of whether you are from the APC, PDP, Labour Party, or NNPP,” reflecting public discourse on the EFCC’s impartiality, per Channels Television.

Critics, including PDP’s Dele Momodu, alleged that defections like Okowa’s were driven by EFCC pressure, a claim Olukoyede dismissed, citing the agency’s focus on evidence-based investigations, per Punch. The EFCC’s ongoing probes of other figures, including former governors Yahaya Bello and Willie Obiano, and former minister Betta Edu, underscore its broad anti-corruption efforts, per TheGuildNG. Olukoyede’s insistence on legal compliance and economic stimulus through asset recovery, like returning 14 properties to Enugu State, aims to counter narratives of political bias, though public skepticism persists amid Nigeria’s polarized political climate, per EFCC and The Africa Report.