The Presidency has expressed deep disappointment over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s continued “reckless public statements and desperate political manoeuvres,” describing them as unbecoming of an elder statesman who has sought Nigeria’s highest office for over three decades.
In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, questioned Atiku’s sense of propriety, asking why the ADC chieftain would report President Bola Tinubu to US President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress over a 1993 civil forfeiture matter long settled in the United States.
“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,” Onanuga said.
He noted that Atiku’s lobbying group in the US had submitted petitions to President Trump and the US State Department on the decades-old issue, which, according to him, “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.”
Onanuga described the move as “an affront to the intelligence of Nigerians and an attempt to rewrite history for personal gain.”
The presidential spokesman reminded Atiku that Nigeria remains a sovereign nation.
“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,” he added.
Onanuga further challenged Atiku to show respect for the country he aspires to lead. “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,” he stated.
The statement recalled that Nigerians had resolved the matter at the ballot box in February 2023 and through the Supreme Court.
“That verdict stands, and Atiku’s latest fishing expedition would amount to nought,” Onanuga declared.
Turning the heat on the former Vice President, Onanuga questioned Atiku’s own legal standing in the United States.
He referenced Atiku’s prominent mention in the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a 2010 US Senate investigation report chaired by Senator Carl Levin titled “Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories.”
The report, according to Onanuga, documented how Atiku allegedly used offshore companies to bring suspect funds, including bribes from multinationals, 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,” the presidential aide claimed.
“Recycling discredited allegations and documents from the 2023 campaign will not improve his chances in 2027.”
Onanuga also took a swipe at Atiku’s record in public service, particularly the privatisation programme during his time 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,” he said.
“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,” Onanuga added pointedly.
The Special Adviser noted that rather than offering policy alternatives to tackle the nation’s challenges, Atiku had opted for “media theatrics and lobbying in Washington.”
He assured that President Tinubu remains focused on delivering his Renewed Hope Agenda.
“President Tinubu is unfazed by Atiku’s theatrics as he remains focused on 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,” Onanuga said.
