Tinubu Must Resign If US Drugs Probe Records Are Negative – Atiku

Tinubu Must Resign If US Drugs Probe Records Are Negative – Atiku

 

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said if the United States drugs probe records that will soon be released about President Bola Tinubu turns out negative, it would make him ineligible to hold office and he “should step aside” for the sake of Nigeria’s global image.

 

 

Atiku who ran against Tinubu in the 2023 Presidential election, said this while reacting to Tuesday’s decision by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, ordering the U.S. law enforcement agencies to release confidential information regarding President Bola Tinubu from a federal investigation in the 1990s.

 

Judge Beryl Howell issued the order on Tuesday, stating that keeping the information secret was “neither logical nor plausible.”

 

In her decision, Judge Howell stressed that any potential privacy concerns were outweighed by the public interest in the case. The ruling noted that the agencies failed to provide sufficient justification for withholding the information.

 

“Any privacy interests implicated by the FOIA requests to the FBI and DEA for records about Tinubu are overcome by the public interest in release of such information.

 

“Since the FBI and DEA have provided no information to establish that a cognizable privacy interest exists in keeping secret the fact that Tinubu was a subject of criminal investigation.

 

“They have failed to meet their burden to sustain their Glomar responses and provide an additional reason why these responses must be lifted,” the judge ruled.

 

Responding, Atiku in a statement through his media aide, Paul Ibe, said, “Anyone occupying the Presidency must not be of tainted character,” Atiku said in a statement through his media aide, Paul Ibe. He added that the entire fiasco underscored the need for “full disclosure” on matters such as alleged forfeitures and academic credentials.

 

“What it means is that the efforts of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will not be in vain, and what will be uncovered is His Excellency’s attempt to ascertain exactly what transpired – the circumstances surrounding the forfeiture of thousands of dollars allegedly linked to drug trafficking—and the issue concerning the Chicago State University certificate.

 

“The reason is clear, the matter of the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whoever occupies that position must not be someone of tainted character.

 

“The government must ensure full disclosure. It is important, Nigerians need to know the background, academic records, age, state of origin, and the schools the leader attended.”

 

Atiku pointed out the importance of the ruling, making it involves the world’s largest Black democracy.

 

“The fact that this issue concerns the government and the occupant of the office makes it even more significant. This is not just about Nigeria.

 

“This is the foremost Black nation in the world—the most populous. And so, we mean something to people around the world, especially the global Black community.

 

“It’s actually about time. And it’s a welcome development so we can clear the air about the issues that have been raised. Well, it’s not even just about future elections,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, the Presidency is downplaying the decison, with the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, saying, “There is nothing new to be revealed. The report by Agent Moss of the FBI and the DEA has been in the public space for more than 30 years. The reports did not indict the Nigerian leader.”

 

Onanuga however confirmed that government lawyers were still reviewing the US judge’s ruling.

 

But he said the documents ordered to be released add no fresh dimension to Tinubu’s past.