ABUJA, NIGERIA — In a blistering critique of the current administration’s anti-corruption stance, Alhaji Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has questioned the moral authority of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the reported detentions of high-profile figures from the previous government.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing national debate over the 2026 Electoral Act amendment, Galadima pointed to the incarceration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami as evidence of a “selective” justice system that ignores alleged corruption within the current inner circle.
A Challenge to Moral Authority
Galadima did not mince words when discussing the fate of the two former power brokers, who have reportedly been in custody as part of widening investigations into the previous administration’s dealings.
“You don’t know that El-Rufai is in prison? Malami is in prison,” Galadima stated during a press briefing. “Which of these people in the APC government can swear by the Quran or the Bible that they haven’t done worse than Malami and El-Rufai did?”
The NNPP chieftain argued that the current administration is using these detentions to project an image of accountability while shielding its own members from similar scrutiny.
The ₦500 Billion Accusation
The most explosive part of Galadima’s address focused on the National Assembly and the individuals currently presiding over the Electoral Amendment Bill. He alleged that the very people shaping Nigeria’s democratic future are themselves under the shadow of massive financial scandals.
“There are some of those who presided over the amendment of this bill who are accused of stealing ₦500 billion of Nigerian taxpayers’ money,” Galadima alleged. “They are presiding over our destiny… Why are they selective?”
This accusation echoes the sentiments of Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who earlier this week questioned whether the National Assembly truly represents “We the People.” Galadima suggested that the legislative focus on digital tax collection, while resisting real-time election result transmission, is a smokescreen to protect those who have “looted the treasury.”
Selective Justice or Political Purge?
The detention of El-Rufai and Malami has divided opinion in the capital. While some see it as a necessary reckoning for the “cabal” of the Buhari era, Galadima and other critics view it as a political purge intended to consolidate power ahead of the 2027 elections.
“If they want to be honest, they should start the arrests from within the current cabinet,” Galadima challenged. “You cannot be a judge in your own case while sitting on ₦500 billion of stolen money.”
As the NNPP continues to push for a more transparent electoral process, Galadima’s remarks have added fresh fuel to the fire, highlighting a growing consensus among opposition figures that the current “war on corruption” is being fought on strictly partisan lines.
