Presidency attacks Atiku over petition to Trump, questions his U.S. legal record

The Presidency has criticised former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over his reported petition to United States President Donald Trump concerning President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Atiku’s actions as unbecoming of a statesman and driven by what he called an obsession with the presidency.

According to the Presidency, Atiku’s lobbying group in the United States submitted petitions to President Trump and the U.S. State Department over a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving Tinubu, insisting the matter had long been resolved and did not result in any criminal conviction.

The Presidency argued that the issue had also been settled politically through Tinubu’s electoral victories and the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming his election.

It maintained that taking domestic political disputes to foreign governments undermined Nigeria’s dignity and sovereignty.

The statement further challenged Atiku to explain his own legal history in the United States, referencing his alleged involvement in the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a 2010 U.S. Senate investigation into foreign corruption.

The Presidency also accused Atiku of overseeing a flawed privatisation programme during his tenure as vice president, alleging that national assets were sold to associates at undervalued prices.

Onanuga said President Tinubu remained focused on implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda, stabilising the economy, improving security and attracting investment, insisting the administration would not be distracted by what it described as Atiku’s political theatrics ahead of the 2027 general election.