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The Presidency on Thursday accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of attempting to internationalize Nigeria’s domestic politics through lobbying in the United States of America and questioned his legal record in the country.
In a statement titled “When will Atiku Abubakar present himself to President Trump?”,
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticized Atiku over reports that a US-based advocacy group acting on his behalf had petitioned US President Donald Trump, the US State Department and members of the US Congress regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to Onanuga, the petitions revive issues surrounding a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving President Tinubu, which he said had long been resolved without any criminal conviction or finding of guilt.
He said the issue had been resolved decades ago and was subsequently addressed during Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election and related legal proceedings, including in the Supreme Court.
The presidential spokesperson argued that making complaints about Nigeria’s president to foreign leaders was inappropriate and inconsistent with the conduct expected of a former vice president and elder statesman.
“It is important to remind Atiku and his associates that Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a satellite of a foreign power,” he said, adding that domestic political disagreements should be resolved within Nigeria’s democratic institutions rather than through foreign pressure.
While acknowledging that lobbying is a recognized feature of American politics, he argued that engaging foreign lobbyists to circulate what he described as “discredited documents” against a sitting Nigerian president amounted to an attempt to undermine the country’s sovereignty.
The Presidency also challenged Atiku to explain what he described as his legal history in the United States.
He said Atiku figured prominently in investigations related to the William Jefferson corruption scandal and cited a 2010 report by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations titled Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories.
He said the report documented alleged financial transactions involving offshore companies and suspicious funds linked to Atiku. The statement did not indicate that the former vice president had been convicted of any crime in connection with these matters.
He urged Atiku to clarify his legal position in the United States instead of focusing attention on President Tinubu.
Onanuga accused the former vice president of allowing his long-standing ambition to become president of Nigeria to overshadow what he described as remainri
nt and the dignity expected of a politician.
He said Atiku’s continued pursuit of the presidency was driven by personal interests rather than national considerations, arguing that revisiting allegations previously raised during the 2023 election campaign would not improve his prospects in the 2027 presidential election.
The statement also echoes criticism of Nigeria’s privatization program implemented during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when Atiku was vice president.
Onanuga said the program led to the sale of national assets to politically connected individuals at undervalued prices, resulting in widespread job losses and unpaid salaries and pensions.
He said the current administration is still dealing with the consequences of those policies.
Onanuga said President Tinubu remained focused on implementing his Renewed Hope agenda, stressing that the administration was focusing on economic reforms, attracting investments, national security and improving Nigeria’s international standing instead of responding to political attacks.
He described Atiku’s actions as political theatrics and argued that the challenges Nigeria faces require political commitment and practical solutions rather than overseas lobbying efforts.
