The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State clashed on Thursday, June 19, over the arrest of 15 former state lawmakers by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC had, on June 17, 2025, detained the former legislators, including ex-Speaker Moses Thomas Sule, over allegations of money laundering and abuse of office.
The agency accused them of breaching the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and engaging in procurement fraud.
All 15 now serve as liaison officers to Governor Caleb Mutfwang across their respective constituencies.
Others arrested include Gwottson Fom, Sani Abubakar, Philip Gwom, Timothy Dantong, Happiness Mathew Akawu, Cornelius Dotyok, Agbalak Ibrahim, Danjuma Azi, Fwangje Bala Ndat, Salome Tanimu Wanglet, Namba Rimuyat, Nimchak Rims, Ishaku Maren, and Paul Datugun.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the PDP condemned the arrests, accusing the APC of using the EFCC to settle political scores ahead of the 2027 general election.
“The Peoples Democratic Party wakes up to a disturbing trend of the arrest of the former speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly and 14 others, orchestrated by some leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the state for cheap political gains,” the party said in a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Jonathan Amande.
“These party leaders are wielding anti-graft agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as a tool to target and intimidate members of the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.
“As a party, we condemn in the strongest terms the parading of our members like common thieves, an action we consider purely politically motivated and aimed at undermining the PDP administration and the party’s influence in the state.
READ ALSO: EFCC Arrests Ex-Plateau Speaker, 14 Others for Alleged Money Laundering
“This use of the EFCC as a political witch-hunt designed to stifle dissent and suppress opposition voices in the country will do more harm than good, especially since the PDP administration has focused on moving Plateau State forward rather than hunting the last APC administration in the state, despite the numerous messes discovered under their eight years of tenure.”
The PDP also reaffirmed its commitment to democratic values, calling on citizens to resist the manipulation of public institutions.
“We want to reiterate our call for transparency and accountability in governance.
“The misuse of institutions like the EFCC threatens the democratic process and the fundamental human rights of citizens.
“The PDP remains committed to opposing any actions that undermine the tenets of democracy in Nigeria,” the statement added.
But the APC in Plateau pushed back strongly. The party’s state chairman, Rufus Bature, dismissed the allegations, saying they were baseless.
“The allegations against us by the PDP over the arrest of the former lawmakers are a figment of their imagination. Nobody has ever discussed anything about the former members of the state House of Assembly.
“As a party, we have never sat down to discuss it not to talk of going to the EFCC.
“As far as APC in Plateau State is concerned, we don’t know anything about their arrest. EFCC is doing its routine work and we cannot interfere with their job,” he said.