Atiku accuses Tinubu of trying to whitewash US drug case, says $460,000 heroin-linked forfeiture record remains, demands release of FBI files
Atiku Media Office has renewed its criticism of President Bola Tinubu over his past US narcotics case, insisting that records relating to the forfeiture of $460,000 allegedly linked to heroin trafficking remain part of the public record and cannot be erased.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the media office accused the Presidency of attempting to “whitewash” the controversy through a recent response by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the Presidency’s position that the matter had been settled and overtaken by Tinubu’s election as President amounted to an admission that the President was investigated in connection with narcotics trafficking in the United States.
“Our attention has been drawn to a reckless and shameful press statement signed on behalf of President Bola Tinubu by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga.
“The statement attempts to bury the records of the narcotics trafficking case against Bola Tinubu in the US under an unwieldy and hollow essay,” the Atiku Media Office stated.
The media office said it was “shocked” by the Presidency’s claim that the matter had long been resolved, arguing that holding public office does not erase historical records.
“We are shocked that the Presidency would claim that the narcotics trafficking charges against Tinubu have ‘long been settled’ and rendered moot by an electoral mandate. This argument essentially admits that Tinubu indeed faced investigation on narcotics trafficking, but suggests that his current position as President grants him immunity, thereby wiping the records of his links to the heroin scandal clean.”
Invoking a Yoruba proverb, the statement questioned why the Presidency continued to resist efforts aimed at making public records relating to the case available.
“As the popular Yoruba adage goes: an aged bowl of pounded yam can still steam. We challenge Bayo Onanuga and the Tinubu media team: if the case against their principal is truly time-barred, why are they so panicky about any attempt to revisit it? Why is President Tinubu blocking every move to unravel what is in his FBI/DOJ US files?”
The Atiku Media Office further argued that the office of the President should reflect the country’s integrity, maintaining that unresolved allegations could affect Nigeria’s international reputation.
“The Office of the President is more than a mere political position. It is an office that mirrors the soul of the society it governs. Having an alleged ex-trafficker in that office inflicts serious reputational damage on Nigeria’s image and on every Nigerian on the global stage.”
The statement also maintained that criminal investigations could be revisited if circumstances warranted such action.
“The Presidency’s media team should be reminded that issues of criminal justice are never completely thrown out. They can be revisited at any material time, especially when new circumstances arise.
“Between 2023 and 2027, there has been a change of leadership in the United States. It is the duty of law enforcement agencies to determine whether the case can be reopened in the interest of justice.”
It added that revisiting the matter would not be an attack on Nigerians but a demonstration that justice should take its course.
“Revisiting the narcotics case against a sitting president is not an affront to the intelligence of Nigerians. Rather, it is a bold attempt to ensure that the wheel of justice continues to turn.”
The Atiku Media Office urged President Tinubu to make his US records available if he had nothing to conceal.
“If President Tinubu has nothing to hide about his records in the US narcotics scandal, he should submit himself to the process of revisiting the case instead of resorting to his usual tactics — frustrating disclosures through frivolous court appeals or deploying his media team to issue long, hollow essays aimed at rewriting history for personal gain.”
The Presidency has previously maintained that the US forfeiture matter was a civil proceeding that has been resolved and has consistently rejected allegations of criminal wrongdoing by President Bola Tinubu.