Former member of the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has challenged former Senator Dino Melaye to provide evidence supporting his claim that a petition concerning former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar was investigated and dismissed more than a decade ago.

Agbonayinma’s response followed criticism from Melaye over his petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking renewed investigation into allegations linked to Atiku’s activities while he was Vice-President.

Melaye had described the petition as “shameful” and alleged that the issues raised had previously been investigated and dismissed more than 10 years ago.

He also questioned Agbonayinma’s political history, alleging that the former lawmaker had approached him seeking to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Agbonayinma, however, rejected the claim, saying he was a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and had not sought to join the ADC.

He said the EFCC petition was filed in his capacity as a Nigerian concerned about public accountability, arguing that allegations of corruption should be subjected to investigation by the appropriate authorities.

Agbonayinma challenged Melaye to produce an official EFCC decision or court record showing that the allegations had previously been dismissed.

He also urged Melaye to focus on the substance of the petition rather than attacking his character, saying the EFCC should be allowed to determine whether the allegations warrant further investigation.

The former lawmaker said he was prepared to defend his integrity and maintained that the matter should be resolved through evidence.

The disagreement comes as political activity increases ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Atiku expected to contest the presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress.