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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Energy & Infrastructure

Atiku undermining Nigeria by lobbying against Tinubu in US — Presidency

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Nigeria's presidency accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of undermining national sovereignty by lobbying against President Bola Tinubu in the United States.
  • The presidency stated that a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving Tinubu was resolved over 30 years ago and that reviving it through foreign lobbyists is an attempt to externalize domestic politics.
  • The presidency also cited Atiku's alleged legal controversies in the U.S. and questioned his own standing, referencing a 2010 Senate investigation into foreign corruption.

Nigeria's presidency has strongly criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of undermining the nation's sovereignty through alleged lobbying efforts in the United States against President Bola Tinubu. The presidency's statement, issued by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, specifically targeted reports that Abubakar's group petitioned President Donald Trump and the U.S. State Department concerning a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving Tinubu.

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.

— Bayo OnanugaSpecial Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, explaining the presidency's reaction to Atiku Abubakar's alleged lobbying efforts.

Onanuga described the move as "baffling and disappointing," asserting that reviving the decades-old matter through paid foreign lobbyists is an "attempt to externalize domestic politics and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty." The presidency emphasized that the 1993 case was resolved over 30 years ago without any criminal conviction or finding of guilt against Tinubu. It further argued that Nigerians and the Supreme Court had already settled the matter through electoral mandates.

Reporting the President of Nigeria to another country’s leader is not only inappropriate but also undermines the nation’s dignity and independence.

— Bayo OnanugaSpecial Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, criticizing Atiku Abubakar's actions.

The presidency also brought up Abubakar's alleged legal history in the United States, referencing the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a 2010 U.S. Senate investigation. This investigation, according to the presidency, documented how Abubakar allegedly used offshore companies to move suspect funds, including millions of dollars in alleged bribes, into the U.S. The presidency questioned Abubakar's own legal standing, asking, "if Atiku Abubakar can spend $1.2m on American lobbyists to report President Tinubu, perhaps he should also clarify his own legal standing in the United States."

Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a satellite of any foreign power.

— Bayo OnanugaSpecial Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, emphasizing Nigeria's independence.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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