The group said the prolonged investigations and slow prosecution of corruption cases were enabling some former governors, ministers and other political figures facing allegations of financial misconduct to continue seeking elective positions and re-entering the nation’s political space without judicial conclusions to their cases.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Emmanuel Onwubiko, its National Coordinator, the group expressed concern that several politicians currently facing corruption investigations or charges have continued to purchase nomination forms and pursue political ambitions without decisive action from anti-graft agencies.
Among those mentioned by the group were Ifeanyi Okowa,former Governor of Delta State governor, Abubakar Malami,
former Attorney General of the Federation, Saleh Mamman, former Minister of Power, and Yahaya Bello, former Governor of Kogi State.
HURIWA alleged that the EFCC had failed to take proactive steps to alert political parties and Nigerians about individuals facing corruption charges, despite publicly prosecuting other categories of suspects.
The rights group argued that while the EFCC recently defended itself by stating that it lacks constitutional powers to stop individuals under investigation from contesting elections, the explanation failed to address what it described as the deeper institutional problem of delayed investigations and prolonged prosecutions.
According to HURIWA, the inability of anti-corruption agencies to conclude investigations and prosecutions promptly has created a situation where politically exposed persons retain ‘unrestricted political mobility,’ allowing them to continue participating in governance while their cases remain unresolved.
The organisation stated that the trend was eroding public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system and creating the impression that anti-corruption laws were being selectively enforced depending on political status and affiliations.
HURIWA further warned that allowing individuals with unresolved corruption allegations to seek legislative or executive offices could create conflicts of interest, especially where such office holders may eventually oversee institutions investigating them.
The group referenced Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, alleging that previous investigations linked to him failed to progress to court despite widespread publicity, thereby enabling his continued rise in public office.
According to the group, several former governors and senators allegedly indicted by the EFCC had either not been prosecuted or had their cases stalled for political reasons.
HURIWA expressed particular concern over prolonged investigative delays involving politically exposed persons, noting that such delays often allow suspects to regain political influence before judicial processes are concluded.
The organisation specifically cited the case involving Okowa and other unnamed politically exposed persons whose matters, it said, had remained in prolonged investigative or pre-trial stages without clear public updates.
It added that the repeated reliance on procedural explanations by the EFCC risked undermining public trust in the agency’s ability to carry out its mandate independently and effectively.
HURIWA stressed that effective anti-corruption enforcement required urgency, transparency and equal application of the law irrespective of political status, warning that unresolved corruption allegations should not be allowed to linger indefinitely while affected individuals actively participate in electoral politics.
The group consequently called on the EFCC to publicly disclose the status of corruption investigations, including procedural stages, timelines and prosecutorial decisions already taken in such matters.
It also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, the judiciary and civil society organisations to remain vigilant in protecting electoral integrity and ensuring that unresolved allegations of public fund diversion do not undermine governance.
HURIWA maintained that Nigeria’s anti-corruption war would continue to lose credibility if enforcement agencies were perceived as slow, selective or politically influenced.
The group noted that public office should not become a refuge for persons facing unresolved allegations of financial misconduct, insisting that restoring accountability remained critical to safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy.