The Presidency has hit back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over reports that he spent $1.2 million to hire American lobbyists to petition US President Donald Trump and the US State Department regarding a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving President Bola Tinubu.
In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the move as undignified and a bid to internationalise Nigeria’s internal politics.
“Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s unrelenting quest for the presidency appears to have blinded him to the decorum expected of a statesman,” Onanuga said. “Instead of upholding the dignity of his office, he continues to embarrass himself with rash statements and political desperation.”
The Presidency expressed surprise that Atiku, who has contested for president for over 30 years, would now be “reporting” Nigeria’s President to US leaders. According to Onanuga, Atiku’s US lobby team recently submitted petitions to President Trump and the State Department over the 1993 case — a matter he said was settled long ago and did not result in any criminal conviction.
“That issue was resolved over 30 years ago in the US and has been addressed repeatedly. It was also settled by the mandate Nigerians gave President Bola Tinubu in Lagos and nationwide. Bringing it up again insults the intelligence of Nigerians and is a clear attempt to distort history for personal gain,” the statement read.
Onanuga stressed that Nigeria is a sovereign nation and not under any foreign jurisdiction. “Reporting Nigeria’s President to another country’s leader is not only wrong, it undermines our national dignity. This is not the conduct of a statesman.”
While acknowledging that lobbying is legal in the US, the Presidency argued that using paid foreign agents to push discredited claims against a sitting Nigerian President goes beyond advocacy. “This is an attempt to take our domestic politics abroad and weaken Nigeria’s sovereignty. Nigerians already settled this at the ballot in 2023 and in the Supreme Court. That decision stands.”
The statement also referenced Atiku’s past. Onanuga cited the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a 2010 US Senate report titled “Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories” which named Atiku and his former wife, Jennifer Douglas. The report alleged the use of offshore companies to move millions of dollars, including funds linked to bribes, into the US.
“If Atiku can spend $1.2 million on US lobbyists to target President Tinubu, he should also explain his own record in the United States,” Onanuga added.
The Presidency further accused Atiku of pursuing the presidency for personal protection rather than public service, and for seeking diplomatic immunity to avoid legal issues abroad. It also recalled his role in the privatisation programme as Vice President, alleging that national assets were sold cheaply to allies, leading to job losses and unpaid benefits — debts the current administration is now clearing.
“Someone with that record has no moral right to ask Nigerians for their votes. In fact, if Atiku were in China, he would be rotting in jail for crimes against the Nigerian people,” the statement said.
Onanuga concluded that Nigeria’s problems require serious leadership and solutions at home, not “media stunts and lobbying in Washington.”
He added that President Tinubu remains focused on the Renewed Hope Agenda — stabilising the economy, attracting investment, improving security, and restoring Nigeria’s global standing — and will not be distracted by what he called “the theatrics of perennial losers seeking validation abroad.”