The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has launched a scathing attack on Nigeria’s anti-corruption and law enforcement institutions, demanding the immediate resignation of the leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over what it described as “criminal silence” surrounding the alleged illegal commercialisation of political parties across the country.
In a blistering statement issued on Saturday, HURIWA accused anti-graft agencies, security institutions, and electoral authorities of deliberately ignoring what it called widespread political fraud involving rival factions within political parties allegedly selling nomination forms despite unresolved leadership disputes and contradictory court rulings.
The group warned that Nigeria was rapidly descending into a “lawless political jungle” where judicial pronouncements were openly ignored, impostors allegedly operated freely, and desperate politicians were being made to pay billions of naira into questionable party structures without accountability.
HURIWA specifically accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of orchestrating the destabilisation of opposition parties through infiltration, internal sabotage, and the empowerment of compromised political actors.
“APC perceived some opposition parties as strong threats, and what we are seeing today did not happen naturally. Labour Party was among the first victims of infiltration through internal moles and compromised individuals planted to destabilise the party from within,” the group stated.
The association argued that the growing crisis within opposition parties had exposed deep institutional failures and a dangerous collapse of democratic order.
According to HURIWA, one of the most disturbing developments is the emergence of rival factions within political parties openly running parallel structures and allegedly collecting huge sums of money from aspirants through the sale of nomination forms despite unresolved legal disputes over party leadership.
“What is even more disturbing is that these factionalised parties are now openly selling nomination forms. Almost every faction is selling forms, collecting huge sums of money from unsuspecting politicians across the country,” the statement said.
“Is Nigeria now a banana republic? How can different factions, with unresolved leadership disputes, all be selling nomination forms at the same time?”
The rights group also criticised recent judicial pronouncements surrounding party leadership crises, alleging that some court decisions had deepened political confusion instead of restoring order.
HURIWA referenced the crisis within the Labour Party, insisting that despite judicial pronouncements questioning the legitimacy of certain party structures, rival factions continued to operate openly and allegedly conduct political transactions without restraint.
“The Supreme Court gave judgments that created more confusion than clarity. Some of those judgments were clearly targeted at weakening opposition parties,” the organisation alleged.
The group accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of failing in its constitutional responsibility by allegedly refusing to clearly identify and enforce recognition of legitimate party leadership structures.
HURIWA further questioned why agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC, and the police had allegedly failed to investigate financial transactions linked to the sale of nomination forms by rival political factions.
“A man openly announces in the media that he is selling forms and collecting money into accounts, and nobody asks questions. Which accounts are these monies going into? Under whose authority are they operating?” the group queried.
The organisation consequently demanded the immediate resignation of the heads of the EFCC, ICPC, and other relevant law enforcement institutions for what it described as failure, cowardice, and refusal to enforce the law.
HURIWA also took a swipe at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing his administration of presiding over institutional collapse and worsening democratic disorder.
“The image of Nigeria is being destroyed globally. The international community is watching a country where factions operate freely, court judgments are ignored, and institutions refuse to enforce accountability,” the group declared.
The statement was signed by HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.