Presidency Clashes With Atiku Over Tinubu's US Forfeiture Case: 'He'd Rot in Jail in China!'

The Nigerian Presidency has strongly condemned the actions of former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of acting in bad faith. This accusation stems from petitions filed by Atiku's lobbying group in the United States, addressed to former President Donald Trump and the US State Department, concerning a civil forfeiture case involving President Bola Tinubu from 1993.

Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, expressed profound disappointment over Atiku Abubakar's decision to revive an issue that, according to the Presidency, 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." Onanuga asserted that reviving this matter constitutes "an affront to the intelligence of Nigerians and an attempt to rewrite history for personal gain."

The Presidency further elaborated that Atiku Abubakar's move to file a petition against Nigeria’s president in the United States is "not only inappropriate but also undermines the nation’s dignity and independence." Such actions were deemed "incongruous with the responsibilities of a statesman and are ultimately self-defeating." Onanuga highlighted that Atiku's "relentless desire to become President of Nigeria has regrettably closed his eyes to the virtues of statesmanship, decorum, and propriety expected of an elder statesman," leading him to "diminish himself through reckless public statements and desperate political manoeuvres."

It was emphasized that Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a "satellite of any foreign power," and reporting the Nigerian President to another country's leader disregards national respect. While acknowledging lobbying as a legitimate part of American politics, the Presidency clarified that "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." The Nigerian populace had already resolved this matter at the ballot in February 2023 and subsequently in the Supreme Court, rendering Atiku's "latest fishing expedition" fruitless.

The Presidency also turned the spotlight on Atiku Abubakar's own past, suggesting that if he can spend $1.2 million on American lobbyists, he should also clarify his own legal standing in the United States. It was recalled that Atiku featured prominently in the William Jefferson bribery scandal, which resulted in the American congressman's imprisonment. Furthermore, Atiku, along with his former wife Jennifer Douglas, was a subject of a US Senate investigation titled "Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories," chaired by Senator Carl Levin. The 2010 report from this investigation documented how Atiku allegedly used offshore companies to funnel "suspect funds, including bribes from multinationals, running into millions of dollars, into the United States."

The Presidency posited that Atiku's "obsession with the presidency" is fueled not only by ambition but also by "a desire for diplomatic immunity and to evade potential legal issues abroad." It dismissed the recycling of "discredited allegations and documents from the 2023 campaign" as ineffective for his 2027 aspirations. The statement also brought up Atiku’s legacy during his time as Vice President, particularly criticizing the "privatisation programme" under his watch, which was described as an "egregious privatisation heist" that sold national assets to cronies, causing job losses and unpaid salaries and pensions that President Tinubu is now addressing.

In conclusion, the Presidency asserted that a man with such a "dismal record as a public servant certainly has no business asking for our votes." It further stated that rather than offering policy alternatives for Nigeria's challenges, the former Vice President has opted for "media theatrics and lobbying in Washington." President Tinubu, meanwhile, remains "unfazed by Atiku’s theatrics," maintaining his focus on the "Renewed Hope Agenda," which includes stabilising the economy, attracting investments, securing the nation, and restoring Nigeria’s global standing, without distraction from "political actors, perennial losers like Atiku."