Atiku hits presidency over China comparison, US forfeiture claim

Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticized the presidency for invoking China's legal system in its defense of President Bola Tinubu. Abubakar contends that this comparison has inadvertently amplified scrutiny of allegations surrounding Tinubu's past, particularly a 1993 civil forfeiture case. He labeled the presidency's move a "monumental own goal," noting that China imposes the death penalty for serious drug trafficking offenses.

“

When governments abandon facts for insults and substitute evidence with abuse, they unwittingly admit that they have run out of convincing answers.

The presidency had previously responded to Abubakar's lobbying efforts in the U.S. regarding the forfeiture case. However, Abubakar's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, asserted that the presidency's reaction focused on personal attacks instead of substantive issues. "When governments abandon facts for insults and substitute evidence with abuse, they unwittingly admit that they have run out of convincing answers," Shaibu stated, adding that Nigerians expected clarification but received "name-calling and political invective."

Shaibu further argued that the presidency's attempt to score political points by citing China had exposed Tinubu to deeper public scrutiny. He questioned the intelligence behind using China as a benchmark, suggesting it invited comparisons to how Chinese authorities might handle a case involving $460,000 forfeited to the U.S. government in relation to alleged narcotics trafficking and money laundering. China is known for its stringent anti-narcotics laws and strict approach to public accountability.

“

It takes a peculiar kind of unintelligence for a spokesman to set out to drag an opponent before a hypothetical Chinese court, only to end up dragging his own principal into the dock.

Abubakar maintained his own record, asserting that he has never been indicted or convicted of corruption, drug-related offenses, or any criminal offense in Nigeria or abroad. "The facts are neither complicated nor disputable. Atiku Abubakar has never been indicted or convicted by any court in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world for corruption, narcotics offences or, indeed, any criminal offence whatsoever. That is an incontrovertible matter of public record," Shaibu declared on behalf of his principal.

“

The facts are neither complicated nor disputable. Atiku Abubakar has never been indicted or convicted by any court in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world for corruption, narcotics offences or, indeed, any criminal offence whatsoever. That is an incontrovertible matter of public record.