By Eshioromeh Sebastian
The Presidency has strongly criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for petitioning the United States government against President Bola Tinubu, describing the move as an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty.
The statement, issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, was released in response to reports that Atiku’s lobbying group in the US had submitted petitions to President Donald Trump and the US State Department regarding a civil forfeiture case involving President Tinubu from 1993.
The Presidency’s response was prompted by Atiku’s decision to externalise domestic political disputes by seeking foreign intervention. According to the statement, the former Vice President’s lobbying group has been circulating discredited documents against President Tinubu in Washington, an action the Presidency described as inappropriate and self-defeating.
The statement emphasised that the matter in question “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 further stated: “Reviving this matter today is an affront to the intelligence of Nigerians and an attempt to rewrite history for personal gain.”
The Presidency took strong exception to what it described as Atiku’s disregard for statesmanship and propriety.
“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.”
The statement added that while lobbying is legitimate in 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.”
The headline quote came as the Presidency sought to highlight what it described as the former Vice President’s poor record in public service.
Onanuga accused Atiku of presiding over “an egregious privatisation heist” during his tenure as Vice President, claiming he sold national assets to cronies, caused thousands of job losses, and left unpaid salaries and pensions that the Tinubu administration is now clearing.
The statement went further: “A man with such a dismal record as a public servant certainly has no business asking for our votes. Indeed, if Atiku Abubakar were a Chinese, he would be rotting away in jail for his crimes against the Nigerian people.”
The Presidency also questioned Atiku’s own legal standing in the United States, referencing his prominent role in the William Jefferson bribery scandal. The American congressman was jailed over the matter.
Onanuga noted that Atiku was a subject of a 2010 US Senate investigation, “Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories,” which documented how he allegedly used offshore companies to bring suspect funds into the US.
Despite the criticism, the Presidency maintained that President Tinubu “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,” the statement concluded.
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