The presidency has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty by sponsoring a campaign against President Bola Tinubu in the United States.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described the move as inappropriate and unbecoming of a statesman.
In a statement on Thursday titled, “When Will Atiku Abubakar Report Himself To President Trump?” Onanuga condemned Atiku’s bid to lobby President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress against Tinubu over a 1993 civil forfeiture case.
“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,” Onanuga said.
The presidential aide noted that a Washington-based lobbying firm hired by Atiku for $1.2m had submitted petitions to President Trump and the US State Department over the matter.
He, however, insisted that the matter was resolved more than three decades ago without any criminal conviction or finding of guilt against the president.
“This issue was resolved over 30 years ago in the United States and has been thoroughly litigated, explained, and rendered moot by the electoral mandates conferred on President Bola Tinubu by the people of Lagos and Nigeria at large. Reviving this matter today is an affront to the intelligence of Nigerians and an attempt to rewrite history for personal gain,” Onanuga stated.
“It is important to remind Atiku and his associates that 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. Such actions are incongruous with the responsibilities of a statesman and are ultimately self-defeating.
“While lobbying is a legitimate part of American politics, employing paid foreign agents to peddle discredited documents against a sitting Nigerian President is not advocacy—it is an attempt to externalise domestic politics and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty. Nigerians resolved this matter at the ballot in February 2023 and in the Supreme Court. That verdict stands, and Atiku’s latest fishing expedition would amount to nought.
“Furthermore, 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 recalled the William Jefferson bribery scandal involving and a 2010 US Senate investigation titled “Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories,” involving Atiku and his ex-wife Jennifer Douglas.
According to Onanuga, “The report of the investigation, chaired by Senator Carl Levin, was released in February 2010. It documented how Atiku used offshore companies to bring suspect funds, including bribes from multinationals, running into millions of dollars, into the United States.”
The presidency further attacked Atiku’s record as chairman of the National Council on Privatisation during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, accusing him of supervising the sale of national assets to political allies.
“Nigerians have not forgotten the legacy of the privatisation programme under Atiku’s watch as vice president. He presided over an egregious privatisation heist, selling national assets to cronies for peanuts and causing thousands of job losses and unpaid salaries and pensions that President Tinubu is clearing today,” said Onanuga.
“President Tinubu is unfazed by Atiku’s theatrics as he remains focused on his Renewed Hope Agenda, stabilising the economy, attracting investments, securing the nation, and restoring Nigeria’s standing in the world. He is not distracted by political actors, perennial losers like Atiku, who now seek validation abroad.”
NewsNGR reported that the lobbying firm announced plans to begin circulating more than 60 pages of US Department of Justice documents relating to Tinubu’s alleged case to officials in the Trump administration.
The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., also released a document detailing the chronology of the 1993 civil forfeiture proceedings and subsequent Freedom of Information Act litigation initiated in 2023 by a journalist, Aaron Greenspan, which is still before a US court.
The presidency, in an apparent attempt to counter the narrative, released a letter dated July 6 in which President Trump praised Tinubu’s leadership and reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
According to the presidency, Trump commended Tinubu’s “decisive leadership” and his resolve “to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria, especially the violence affecting Christian communities.”
