₦airaland Forum

The Presidency on Thursday took a swipe at the former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for reporting President Bola Tinubu to American President Donald Trump and the US Congress over a matter that has long been concluded.

In a statement titled “When will Atiku Abubakar report himself to President Trump,” the Presidency said it is baffling that someone who has sought the presidency for over three decades would resort to reporting President Tinubu to President Trump and members of the US Congress.

The statement, issued by the presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, accused the former vice-president of using a lobbying group in the US and submitting petitions to President Trump and the US State Department regarding a civil forfeiture case from 1993 — a matter long settled, with no criminal conviction or finding of guilt.

The statement read: “Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’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. Instead of embracing the dignity and maturity that come with his standing, he continues to diminish himself through reckless public statements and desperate political manoeuvres.

“It is baffling and disappointing that someone who has sought the presidency for over three decades would now resort to reporting the President of Nigeria to US President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress.

“In his latest act, Atiku Abubakar’s lobbying group in the US has submitted petitions to President Trump and the US State Department regarding a civil forfeiture case from 1993 — a matter long settled, with no criminal conviction or finding of guilt.

“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.”

According to the Presidency, “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.

“If Atiku has chosen to disregard his own sense of self-respect and self-worth, he should, at the very least, show respect for the country he aspires to lead and the office he so ardently seeks.”

It acknowledged that lobbying is part of American politics but said hiring paid foreign agents to discredit a sitting president undermines the country’s sovereignty.

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 reminded the former vice-president that he had baggage and corruption allegations against him.

“He featured most prominently in the William Jefferson bribery scandal, a matter which saw the American congressman jailed.

“Atiku, along with his former wife Jennifer Douglas, was one of the subjects of an elaborate US Senate investigation, ‘Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories.’

“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.

“Atiku’s obsession with the presidency is driven not just by his marabout-fuelled ambition, but by a desire for diplomatic immunity and to evade potential legal issues abroad. Recycling discredited allegations and documents from the 2023 campaign will not improve his chances in 2027.

“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.

“A man with such a dismal record as a public servant certainly has no business asking for our votes. Indeed, if Atiku Abubakar were Chinese, he would be rotting away in jail for his crimes against the Nigerian people.

“Rather than present policy alternatives to address the country’s challenges, the former vice-president has chosen the path of media theatrics and lobbying in Washington. The challenges Nigeria faces require serious engagement, thoughtful solutions, and leadership at home — not grandstanding abroad.

“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.”

"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."

Bobloco:
For the typical hypocritical Tinubu/APC supporter, Tinubu's forfeiture of $460,000 to the U.S. government which are proceeds of drug trafficking doesn't make him a drug bárón, but they have no problem calling Malami a thief over the civil forfeiture of 48 properties.

Truly, Tinubu, the APC, and their supporters are among the most hypocritical individuals to ever emerge on the surface of the earth.

PulaPower:
Trash..

Show any report where DEA charged Tinubu to court got drugs offense…?

SeeWahala:
Exactly what a Typical Tilumbu supporter would say 🙄

SeeWahala:
Exactly what a Typical Tilumbu supporter would say 🙄

PulaPower:
You always claim to be smart but I wonder why you don’t show it..

Receiving a strange money into your account happens around the world, even in Nigeria, people do wake up to see alert from unknown person or account. That doesn’t mean the receiver is a party to the money..

Bobloco:
Absolutely 💯

They see the facts staring them in the face, yet they still argue blindly against them.

In fact, I couldn't agree more with what Daniel Bwala once said:

"The human brain is unique and miraculous. It works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, until you join and support the APC. Then it stops working.

Bigkoko:
According to the Presidency, “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.

A well known drug bagman should have spare Nigeria this embarrassment

Badb0y4lyf:
The presidency need not to go through all this length debunking and explaining Tinubu innocence. If he was found not guilty then they need not to worry.
This response portray them as jittery or with something to hide.

SeeWahala:
My brodaaa 🥺

Just take a pause and glace at the response that APC bot PulaPower gave me above ☝️ concerning why the money was found in Bobo ShiKaGo's bank account and why he wasn't a criminal back then 🙄

helinues:
The presidency don't owe any of you any explanations.

If Atiku and other opposition are sure about their allegations, let them go to court

President Tinubu is not a sissy that can be cowed

favor914:
Bobloco wey we shame for the 2023 general election, & every single election since thereafter, wan come dey form opinion .

SeeWahala:
Where have you seen someone recieve over half a billion in his account as a mistake transfer and the people who made the mistake left it and even kept sending in more and more 'mistake' funds into that same 'wrong' account without trying to track down the person who runs the account or at least close the loophole on their end that facilitates such mistakes from reoccurring frequently? 🤔

helinues:
Na you people still dey waste your time to be engaging with the characters like the moniker above, that moniker is on my permanent blocking . Many of his colleagues are also on the list

It's a waste of time to be engaging with those who haven't changed their story or tactics even after 2 election cycle

favor914:
True Talk, but many times, it is ok to address the ignorance of the Obidients.

U silent for ignorant person, e go feel say e correct, even answering those Obidients doesn’t clear their ignorance, but my conscience is clear, that they were put on notice.

tonesky:
A thief is a thief irrespective of the colouration you people give it. It will be in history that once upon a certain country in west Africa was ruled by a thief.

SeeWahala:
My brodaaa 🥺

Just take a pause and glace at the response that APC bot PulaPower gave me above ☝️ concerning why the money was found in Bobo ShiKaGo's bank account and why he wasn't a criminal back then 🙄

helinues:
Bro, it's still a waste of time. Since you have been addressing their ignorance, have they learned, upgraded or mature in their conversation?

If some of them have been active on this forum for over 5 years, yet they don't know what I support/believe or where my ideology /loyalty lies hence still attacking my opinion even on innocent comments, then it's a pure waste of time to still be allowing them to be seeing my comments not to talk of attack it

Should any of them still be talking about rigged election in 2023 when we know the region that was rigged most. Like they attack others on things they mastered

PulaPower:
I didn’t give the Info, IRS gave the info after their investigation. They also said Tinubu was not a party to the money, hence why he wasn’t charged!

PulaPower:
Nah IRS you go ask the question as per why dem no carry Tinubu go court..

favor914:
Bobloco please continue to stick to your new found occupation posting of the news for your fellow Obidient’s consumption.

Always on the losing side, U don’t have an opinion.

SeeWahala:
What!



J . . . Ju . . . Just imagine what this useless dàta b0i is telling me

I weep on behalf of both your immediate and extended family 😞

Badb0y4lyf:
The presidency need not to go through all this length debunking and explaining Tinubu innocence. If he was found not guilty then they need not to worry.
This response portray them as jittery or with something to hide.

PulaPower:
Trash..

Show any report where DEA charged Tinubu to court got drugs offense…?