.Says he’s obsessed with presidency for diplomatic immunity to evade potential legal issues abroad
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The Presidency on Thursday formally reacted to recent steps reportedly taken by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to report President Bola Tinubu to the United States President and State Department.
In his latest act, Atiku’s lobbying group in the US submitted petitions to President Donald Trump and the US State Department over a civil forfeiture case from 1993.
The Presidency in a reaction via a statement issued by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said it is baffling and disappointing that Atiku 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.
“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.”
It asked the former Vice President to go and clarify his legal status in theUnited States as he had been accused of improper dealings with top US officials in the past.
According to the Presidency: “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. 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.”
It emphasised that Atiku is obsessed with presidency for diplomatic immunity to evade potential legal issues abroad
“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.”
While acsusing the ex-Vice President of presiding over an egregious privatisation heist, selling national assets to cronies for peanuts, the Presidency stressed for emphasis that Tinubu remains focussed and won’t be distracted by failed politicians reckless public statements and desperate political manoeuvres.
The Presidency, in the 11-paragraph release entitled ‘When Will Atiku Abubakar Report Himself To Presidebt Trump?’, stated, inter alia: “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 now resorts 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.
“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. 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.
“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 a 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.”
