Presidency Blasts Atiku Over U.S. Lobbying, Asks: “When Will He Report Himself to Trump?”

The Presidency has launched a fresh attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty by allegedly lobbying United States President Donald Trump and members of the U.S. Congress against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency described Atiku’s actions as unbecoming of an elder statesman, insisting that domestic political disputes should not be taken to foreign governments.

According to the statement, the issue Atiku’s lobbying group reportedly raised relating to a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving President Tinubu had long been resolved in the United States and was settled politically and legally through the 2023 presidential election and subsequent Supreme Court judgment.

The Presidency maintained that Nigeria is a sovereign nation and argued that reporting its President to another country’s leader undermines the country’s dignity and independence.

Onanuga further challenged Atiku to explain his own legal history in the United States, referencing his alleged involvement in investigations connected to former U.S. Congressman William Jefferson and a 2010 U.S. Senate report on foreign corruption.

The statement also accused Atiku of pursuing the presidency for personal reasons and criticised his record during the privatisation programme under the Obasanjo administration, alleging that the exercise led to the sale of national assets to associates at undervalued prices.

The Presidency said President Tinubu remains focused on implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda, including economic reforms, investment attraction and national security, adding that he would not be distracted by political opponents.