Releasing My Alleged Heroin-Trafficking Records Would Make Me Lose Election — Tinubu Pleads with US Court, American Firm Claims

Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has allegedly asked a United States court to prevent the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from releasing records linked to an alleged heroin-trafficking investigation, according to a Washington-based lobbying firm.

Von Batten-Montague-York L.C., a lobbying firm hired by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, made the claim in an update published on Friday.

The firm alleged that Tinubu, through his legal team, had asked the court to block the release of the records, arguing that disclosure would violate his right to privacy.

According to the lobbying firm, the President also argued that the records were being sought for political purposes and could influence the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.

“President Bola Tinubu pleaded with the court not to order the DOJ, FBI, and DEA to release his alleged heroin-trafficking records,” the firm said in its statement.

The lobbying firm further claimed that Tinubu had acknowledged that the dispute involved criminal records concerning him, although it did not provide the full text of the President’s alleged court filing in the statement.

It said Tinubu had cited his right to privacy as a reason the records should remain withheld.

The firm also quoted the President as arguing that the records were being sought “to influence politics in a foreign nation,” which it interpreted as an attempt to affect his prospects in the upcoming Nigerian presidential election.

The lobbying firm went on to allege that Tinubu argued that public interest in his background and fitness for office did not automatically give Nigerians a right under the US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain information contained in law-enforcement records.

The claims form part of a long-running legal and political dispute over records held by US law-enforcement agencies concerning Tinubu.

Atiku, who is seeking the presidency in 2027, has previously pursued access to documents relating to Tinubu in the United States, while Tinubu has consistently faced political scrutiny over his past and records in the country.

However, the latest statement from Von Batten-Montague-York L.C. represents the lobbying firm’s characterization of the President’s position. The specific contents and legal arguments in any court filing would need to be examined directly to independently verify the claims.

Below is the unedited statement from the US firm:

Update: This morning, President Bola Tinubu (@officialABAT) pleaded with the court not to order the @TheJusticeDept (DOJ), @FBI, and @DEAHQ to release his alleged heroin-trafficking records. President Tinubu finally admits that the dispute involves criminal records concerning him and pleads with the court to block the records from being released.

President #Tinubu cites his right to privacy as the reason the alleged #heroin-trafficking records should not be released and states that the records are being sought “to influence politics in a foreign nation” (in other words, to make him lose the upcoming #Nigerian presidential election).

President #Tinubu goes on to essentially argue that even the Nigerian public’s interest in his background and fitness for office does not give the public a right under FOIA to obtain the withheld information in his law-enforcement records. Nigerians, this is your President.

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