The Presidency has launched a fresh attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over reports that his supporters petitioned United States President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress regarding President Bola Tinubu, accusing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart of dragging Nigeria’s domestic politics onto the international stage.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency described Atiku’s reported move as unbecoming of a statesman, arguing that it undermines Nigeria’s sovereignty and national dignity.
According to Onanuga, Atiku’s long-standing ambition to become Nigeria’s president has overshadowed the conduct expected of a former vice president.
He said, “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.”
The presidential aide alleged that Atiku’s lobbying group in the United States had submitted petitions to President Trump and the US State Department over a civil forfeiture case involving President Tinubu dating back to 1993.
However, Onanuga insisted the matter had been resolved decades ago and no criminal conviction or finding of guilt was recorded against Tinubu.
He stated, “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.”
The Presidency further argued that Nigerians had already settled the issue through the 2023 presidential election and subsequent Supreme Court judgment, describing renewed attempts to revisit it as an exercise in futility.
Onanuga maintained that Nigeria is a sovereign nation and said reporting the country’s president to a foreign government was inappropriate.
He said, “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 also criticised the use of foreign lobbyists to pursue political objectives, arguing that while lobbying is recognised within the American political system, employing paid agents to promote what it described as “discredited documents” against a sitting Nigerian president amounted to an attempt to externalise domestic politics.
The Presidency further claimed that if Atiku could allegedly spend $1.2 million on American lobbyists, he should also explain what it described as his own legal history in the United States.
Onanuga referenced Atiku’s alleged links to the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a 2010 US Senate investigative report titled “Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories.” He alleged that the report documented how suspect funds linked to offshore companies were transferred into the United States, although no court judgment establishing criminal liability was cited in the statement.
The presidential spokesman also criticised Atiku’s record during the privatisation programme under the administration in which he served as vice president, alleging that national assets were sold below value to associates, resulting in job losses and unpaid salaries and pensions.
According to Onanuga, “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.”
He added that President Tinubu remains focused on implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda, including economic reforms, attracting investments, improving security, and strengthening Nigeria’s global standing.
“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,” the statement added.
The Presidency’s latest remarks come amid renewed political exchanges between the Tinubu administration and opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general election.
