Presidency Questions Atiku Abubakar's Legal Status in US

The Presidency, through spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, reacted to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's recent lobbying efforts to report President Bola Tinubu to the United States President and State Department. Atiku's group submitted petitions regarding a civil forfeiture case from 1993, which the Presidency described as a long-settled matter without any criminal conviction.

The statement urged Atiku to clarify his own legal status in the US, referencing his involvement in the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a US Senate investigation that implicated him in bringing suspect funds into the US. The Presidency accused Atiku of seeking the presidency for diplomatic immunity to avoid legal issues abroad and criticized his past privatization practices.

The statement concluded by emphasizing that Tinubu remains focused and will not be distracted by Atiku's political maneuvers.