The Presidency on Thursday accused former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of attempting to internationalise Nigeria’s domestic political disputes, subsequent to the reports that a lobbying group acting on his behalf submitted petitions to United States President Donald Trump and the US State Department over President Bola Tinubu’s decades-old civil forfeiture case.
In a strongly worded statement, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, argued that reviving the matter, which dates back to 1993, amounted to reopening issues that had long been resolved by the American legal system and, subsequently, by Nigeria’s electoral and judicial processes.
Onanuga maintained that the controversy had already been litigated in both the United States and Nigeria. He insisted that no criminal conviction or finding of guilt was entered against Tinubu in the US proceedings. He further argued that Nigerians had also settled the matter politically during the 2023 presidential election and through subsequent Supreme Court judgments.
Onanuga said, “It is baffling and disappointing that someone who has sought the presidency for over three decades now resorts to reporting the President of Nigeria to US President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress.”
The presidential aide described the alleged petition as an attempt to draw a foreign government into Nigeria’s internal political affairs. He warned that such actions undermine the country’s sovereignty and diminish the dignity expected of a former vice-president.
He stated, “Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a satellite of any foreign power. Reporting the President of Nigeria to another country’s leader is not only inappropriate but also undermines the nation’s dignity and independence.”
The latest exchange marks another chapter in the prolonged political rivalry between Tinubu and Atiku, which has intensified since the 2023 presidential election. During that contest, Atiku repeatedly questioned Tinubu’s eligibility when he cited the 1993 civil forfeiture case in the United States as part of his legal challenge against the President’s election. Those arguments ultimately failed before Nigeria’s Supreme Court which affirmed Tinubu’s victory.
Onanuga also challenged Atiku to explain his own legal history in the United States if he intended to raise questions about Tinubu’s past.
He referred to the investigations linked to the late American congressman William Jefferson and cited a 2010 report of the US Senate Permanent Sub-committee on Investigations chaired by Senator Carl Levin, which examined financial transactions involving Atiku and his former wife, Jennifer Douglas.
Onanuga said, “If Atiku Abubakar can spend $1.2 million on American lobbyists to report President Tinubu, perhaps he should also clarify his own legal standing in the United States.”
The Presidency further accused the former vice-president of focusing on foreign lobbying instead of presenting alternative policy proposals capable of addressing Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.
According to the statement, President Tinubu remains focused on implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda through economic reforms, infrastructure development, investment promotion, and national security initiatives, despite the repeated political distractions from opposition figures.
Onanuga concluded that the administration would not be diverted by what he characterised as Atiku’s continued pursuit of the presidency through media campaigns and foreign advocacy, maintaining that governance, rather than political theatrics, remains the President’s priority.
Atiku Abubakar had not responded publicly to the Presidency’s latest remarks as of the time of filing this report.
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