EFCC: How APC chieftain warned me against challenging Tinubu in 2027 – Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has alleged that an unnamed chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) warned him against contesting the 2027 presidential election against President Bola Tinubu.

Makinde made the claim in the July 2026 edition of his monthly newsletter, obtained by Tribune Online, where he also linked the warning to a subsequent request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for records of the state’s contracts and payments.

According to the governor, the APC chieftain approached him on June 1, 2025, shortly after President Tinubu was endorsed as the APC’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

He said that a day after the warning, the EFCC requested copies of all Oyo State Government contracts and payments to contractors from 2021 without identifying any contractor, company, transaction or specific allegation of wrongdoing.

Makinde explained that his administration did not oppose the investigation but instead asked the anti-graft agency to specify the contractors or transactions under scrutiny so the relevant documents could be made available.

According to him, the EFCC did not respond to the request, prompting the Oyo State Government to seek judicial interpretation on whether such a broad demand was lawful.

The governor recalled that the Federal High Court in Ibadan, while delivering judgment in Suit No. FHC/IB/CS/61/2025, affirmed the EFCC’s constitutional authority to investigate financial crimes but ruled that such powers must be exercised in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law.

Makinde said the court described the EFCC’s request as “speculative” and a “fishing expedition,” holding that requests for information must be linked to a specific allegation rather than broad, unspecified inquiries.

His position echoed an earlier statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, who argued that the EFCC’s request, particularly its letter dated June 2, 2025, amounted to a speculative investigation that could infringe on the constitutional rights of those involved.

According to Makinde, while he would not speculate on the timing of the EFCC’s request, Nigerians should examine the sequence of events and draw their own conclusions.

He maintained that no government or public official should be above legitimate investigation but insisted that accountability must be rooted in credible evidence rather than broad investigations conducted in the hope of uncovering wrongdoing.

The governor described the court’s verdict as a victory for the rule of law rather than a setback for the EFCC, saying the judgment reinforces the principle that every institution must operate within constitutional and legal limits.

He added that the ruling highlights the importance of leadership anchored on due process, constitutionalism and respect for the rule of law.

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