The Nigerian Presidency has condemned Atiku Abubakar for reportedly paying $1.2 million to American lobbyists. These lobbyists were hired to petition President Donald Trump and the U.S. State Department regarding a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving President Bola Tinubu. Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, labeled the maneuver an inappropriate attempt to drag domestic Nigerian political issues into the international arena.
Onanuga stated that Atiku’s actions lack the dignity expected of a political veteran. He argued that the 1993 case is long settled and lacks any criminal findings. By reviving these claims, Onanuga suggested that the former Vice President is undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty and insulting the intelligence of its citizens who already settled the matter during the 2023 elections and subsequent Supreme Court rulings.
The statement further challenged Atiku to address his own historical legal controversies in the U.S., specifically mentioning his involvement in the William Jefferson bribery scandal. Referencing a 2010 U.S. Senate investigation, Onanuga claimed that Atiku utilized offshore companies to facilitate the movement of questionable funds. He concluded by asserting that if Atiku were subject to the laws of China, his past record would have resulted in a prison sentence rather than a presidential campaign.
