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By James<\/p>\nBy James<\/p>\n
Kindly share:<\/p>\n
A routine anti-corruption investigation into a senior Federal Government official has blown open a major political crisis. The situation involves the secret funding of the ruling party ahead of the next general elections.<\/p>\n
According to a report by Vanguard, the ongoing probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission into the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, has uncovered a complex financial network. This network is closely linked to the Progressive Governors Forum.<\/p>\n
Investigators are currently tracing between N500 billion and N701 billion allegedly pooled by governors of the All Progressives Congress. These funds are meant to finance early mobilisation for the expected re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu in 2027. The controversy stems from allegations that these funds were diverted directly from the monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee revenues.<\/p>\n
An operative of the anti-graft agency told Saturday Vanguard that the commission was aggressively tracking the movement of the massive funds. The official said “we are treating this as a serious money laundering case involving substantial movements of funds estimated around N500 to N701 billion.”<\/p>\n
The source added that the Energy Commission boss was invited multiple times before he was brought in for questioning. According to the investigator, the primary focus of the agency is tracing the flow of these resources. They want to determine whether public funds were laundered through private political structures.<\/p>\n
The investigation has triggered quiet panic among the ruling elite in Abuja. Several APC governors are reportedly demanding answers about the management and control of the financial contributions. The tension forced the Progressive Governors Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, to initiate emergency interventions to prevent a public fracture.<\/p>\n
Defending the financial arrangement, a source within the forum insisted that the governors simply made voluntary contributions. The source said “this is normal political mobilisation, not a crime.” The official also claimed that the massive figures being circulated in the media were exaggerated and taken completely out of context.<\/p>\n
Despite the private anxieties over accountability, the governors have moved to project a united front to the Nigerian public. Kaduna State Governor and deputy chairman of the forum, Uba Sani, publicly dismissed reports of deep divisions among the state chief executives. He insisted that the leadership structure remains strong.<\/p>\n
Sani acknowledged that there were minor disagreements but maintained that the political bloc remained intact. He said “at the moment, there\u2019s no problem. All the governors are together. There was misunderstanding in the APC governors\u2019 forum, but Uzodimma remains chairman.”<\/p>\n
To further consolidate this public posture, Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris sponsored a motion endorsing a vote of confidence in the leadership of Uzodimma. However, opposition figures and critics argue that moving public allocations into opaque partisan accounts raises severe constitutional concerns. They maintain that funds meant for state development should never be used for political mobilisation.<\/p>\n
This political controversy has also deepened public distrust regarding accountability in the Nigerian power sector. It comes just days after former Minister of Power Saleh Mamman was sentenced in absentia to 75 years in prison. The former minister was convicted over a N33.8 billion fraud linked to the failed Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric projects.<\/p>\n
While the EFCC has not formally charged the governors forum with any criminal diversion of funds, the ongoing probe continues to generate significant anxiety. The Director-General of the Energy Commission also insists that he voluntarily honoured all invitations and remains innocent. For now, Nigerians wait to see how the anti-graft agency will navigate the sensitive power dynamics of elite campaign financing.<\/p>\n
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