By Our Correspondent
The Presidency has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over reports that his supporters engaged lobbyists in the United States to raise issues concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with US President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency described the alleged move as inappropriate and said it undermined Nigeria’s sovereignty.
According to the statement, the issues reportedly raised by Atiku’s lobbyists relate to a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving President Tinubu, which the Presidency said had long been resolved in the United States and had no criminal conviction attached to it.
The Presidency argued that the matter had also been addressed politically and legally following Tinubu’s election in 2023 and subsequent Supreme Court judgments, adding that attempts to revive it were “an affront to the intelligence of Nigerians.”
“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,” the statement said.
The Presidency further alleged that Atiku had spent about $1.2 million on American lobbyists and challenged him to clarify his own legal history in the United States.
The statement also referenced Atiku’s alleged links to investigations connected with former US Congressman William Jefferson and a 2010 US Senate report titled Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories. It alleged that the report documented the use of offshore companies to move suspect funds into the United States. Atiku has, over the years, denied allegations of wrongdoing arising from those matters.
The Presidency also criticised Atiku’s role in Nigeria’s privatisation programme during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, alleging that national assets were sold to cronies at undervalued prices, resulting in job losses and unpaid pensions.
It further accused the former vice president of focusing on political lobbying abroad instead of presenting policy alternatives to address Nigeria’s challenges.
The statement said President Tinubu remained focused on implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda, stabilising the economy, attracting investment, improving security and strengthening Nigeria’s international standing.
The Presidency maintained that the President would not be distracted by what it described as Atiku’s political tactics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
