The Presidency on Thursday accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty by allegedly lobbying the U.S. government against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and reviving issues it described as long settled in American and Nigerian courts.
In a statement titled, “When Will Atiku Abubakar Report Himself to President Trump?”, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, alleged that Atiku’s reported engagement of lobbyists in the United States to petition President Donald Trump, the US State Department and members of Congress over a decades-old civil forfeiture case involving Tinubu amounted to an attempt to internationalise Nigeria’s domestic politics.
The Presidency described the move as unbecoming of a former vice president and presidential candidate, saying Atiku’s long-standing ambition to become Nigeria’s president had overshadowed the restraint, decorum and statesmanship expected of a political elder.
“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.
According to him, the matter referenced by Atiku’s alleged lobbying campaign was a civil forfeiture case from 1993 which had been resolved more than three decades ago without any criminal conviction or finding of guilt against Tinubu.
The presidential spokesman argued that the issue had since been exhaustively litigated and was effectively settled through subsequent electoral victories secured by Tinubu in Lagos State and at the national level, as well as judgments of the Nigerian Supreme Court following the 2023 presidential election.
“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”, he said.
Onanuga maintained that Nigeria remained a sovereign nation and should not be subjected to external political pressure orchestrated by domestic political actors.
“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”, he stated.
The Presidency argued that while lobbying is recognised within the American political system, employing foreign lobbyists to promote allegations previously canvassed during the 2023 election amounted to an effort to externalise Nigeria’s internal political contest.
“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”, the statement added.
The Presidency also questioned Atiku’s legal standing in the United States, alleging that the former vice president featured in investigations linked to the William Jefferson corruption scandal and a 2010 US Senate report titled Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories.
Onanuga alleged that the report documented financial transactions involving Atiku and his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, through offshore companies, but did not state that Atiku had been convicted by any American court.
The presidential spokesman further accused Atiku of seeking the presidency to obtain diplomatic immunity and shield himself from potential legal challenges abroad.
He also criticised the privatisation programme implemented during the administration in which Atiku served as vice president between 1999 and 2007, alleging that strategic national assets were sold to political associates at undervalued prices, resulting in job losses and unpaid pensions.
“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”, Onanuga alleged.
The Presidency argued that rather than offering alternative policy proposals on the economy, security and governance, Atiku had chosen to focus on media campaigns and lobbying efforts outside Nigeria.
“The challenges Nigeria faces require serious engagement, thoughtful solutions, and leadership at home, not grandstanding abroad”, the statement said.
Onanuga insisted that Tinubu remained focused on implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda and would not be distracted by political opponents.
“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”, he said.
