Daud Olatunji
The Presidency has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his decision to engage a United States lobbying firm to revive President Bola Tinubu’s decades-old forfeiture case, describing the move as an attack on Nigeria’s sovereignty and a futile political strategy.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Thursday, accused Atiku of attempting to internationalise Nigeria’s domestic politics by sponsoring foreign lobbyists to circulate documents relating to a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving Tinubu.
Onanuga said Atiku’s latest move reflected what he described as the former vice-president’s “desperate” quest for the presidency, insisting that the issue had long been settled both legally and politically.
He added that if Atiku “were Chinese, he would be rotting away in jail for his crimes against the Nigerian people,” citing allegations linked to the former vice-president during his time in public office.
The presidential reaction followed an announcement by Washington-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, that it had begun distributing records from the US Department of Justice concerning past drug-trafficking allegations against Tinubu to members of President Donald Trump’s administration, Congress and senior congressional aides.
The firm, which was reportedly hired by Atiku under a 12-month lobbying contract valued at $1.2 million, said it was also submitting court filings, affidavits and related federal court decisions to US officials, claiming many in Washington were previously unaware of the case.
Responding, Onanuga described the exercise as “self-defeating” and accused Atiku of abandoning the conduct expected of a statesman.
“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,” the statement said.
According to him, the civil forfeiture case, which dates back more than 30 years, had no criminal conviction against Tinubu and had been extensively litigated during the 2023 presidential election.
He argued that Nigerians had already resolved the issue through the ballot and subsequent Supreme Court judgment.
“Reviving this matter today is an affront to the intelligence of Nigerians and an attempt to rewrite history for personal gain,” Onanuga said.
He maintained that Nigeria is a sovereign nation whose political disputes should not be exported to foreign governments.
“Reporting the President of Nigeria to another country’s leader is not only inappropriate but also undermines the nation’s dignity and independence,” he added.
While acknowledging that lobbying is a legitimate aspect of American politics, Onanuga argued that hiring foreign agents to circulate what he called “discredited documents” against a sitting Nigerian president amounted to an attempt to undermine the country’s sovereignty.
The presidential spokesman also challenged Atiku to explain his own legal history in the United States, referencing his alleged involvement in investigations linked to former US Congressman William Jefferson and a US Senate report on foreign corruption.
He alleged that the report detailed the use of offshore companies to move suspicious funds into the United States, claims that have been part of public records for years.
Onanuga further accused Atiku of presiding over a controversial privatisation programme during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, alleging that national assets were sold below value to associates, resulting in job losses and unpaid pensions.
He said rather than offering policy alternatives to address Nigeria’s economic and security challenges, the former vice-president had resorted to “media theatrics and lobbying in Washington.”
According to him, President Tinubu remains focused on implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda, stabilising the economy, attracting investment and improving national security.
“He is not distracted by political actors who seek validation abroad,” Onanuga said.
The Presidency’s statement came hours before Atiku responded separately, insisting that personal attacks from the Presidency could not replace transparency over the President’s US forfeiture case.
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