Former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said that Nigeria deserves better leadership than President Bola Tinubu, citing concerns about the president’s past.
Speaking through his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku emphasized that the international community should be aware of Tinubu’s history, particularly allegations tied to drug-related fund forfeiture and academic records from Chicago State University.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ibe wrote:
“It’s about time the truth came out—Tinubu’s past, including the $460,000 forfeiture linked to alleged drug trafficking and the issues surrounding his Chicago State University records, must be made public.
“Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, should not be led by someone with a questionable past. The truth must be revealed—Nigerians and the world deserve transparency.”
This comes in the wake of a U.S. District Court order in Washington, D.C., mandating the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to release documents related to Tinubu. Judge Beryl Howell ruled in favor of Aaron Greenspan, an American who filed a motion insisting that the FBI’s refusal to release the records violated the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Howell criticized efforts to withhold the documents as “neither logical nor plausible.”
The documents in question reportedly relate to federal investigations involving Tinubu and Abiodun Agbele, and the $460,000 Tinubu forfeited in 1993, allegedly linked to proceeds from narcotics trafficking.
In response, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Tinubu, dismissed the developments, saying there is nothing new in the reports.
Posting on X, Onanuga stated:
“There is nothing new to see here. The FBI and DEA reports, including one by Agent Moss, have been in the public domain for over 30 years. These documents did not indict President Tinubu. Our legal team is currently reviewing the court’s ruling.”
The development has further intensified the ongoing debate over the transparency and integrity of public office holders in Nigeria, especially at the highest level.