The Presidency has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over reports that he petitioned United States President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress regarding President Bola Tinubu, describing the move as an attack on Nigeria’s sovereignty.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency questioned why Atiku would take a matter it said had long been settled to foreign authorities.
The statement, titled “When Will Atiku Abubakar Report Himself to President Trump?”, accused the former vice president of abandoning the conduct expected of a statesman because of his long-standing ambition to become Nigeria’s president.
According to the Presidency, Atiku, through a lobbying group in the United States, submitted petitions to President Trump and the US State Department over a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving Tinubu, insisting the matter had been resolved decades ago and did not result in any criminal conviction.
It argued that the issue had already been settled politically through the 2023 presidential election and legally by the Supreme Court, making any attempt to revive it unnecessary.
The Presidency also maintained that Nigeria is a sovereign nation and that reporting its sitting president to another country’s leadership was inappropriate and disrespectful to the country’s independence.
While acknowledging that lobbying is a legitimate part of American politics, the statement said hiring foreign lobbyists to campaign against a Nigerian president amounted to exporting domestic politics and undermining national sovereignty.
The Presidency further challenged Atiku to explain his own record in the United States, recalling allegations linking him to the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a 2010 US Senate investigation into foreign corruption.
It claimed the Senate report examined financial transactions involving Atiku and his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, alleging that offshore companies were used to move questionable funds into the United States.
The statement also accused the former vice president of overseeing a flawed privatisation programme during his time in office, alleging that national assets were sold to associates at undervalued prices, leading to widespread job losses and unpaid pensions.
The Presidency argued that Atiku’s renewed criticism of Tinubu was driven by his continued presidential ambition rather than genuine concern for the country.
It added that President Tinubu remains focused on implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda, including economic reforms, investment drive, national security and improving Nigeria’s global standing, despite what it described as Atiku’s “political theatrics.”
