Presidency Slams Atiku Over US Lobbying Efforts

The Nigerian Presidency, represented by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for reportedly hiring a US lobbying firm to petition President Donald Trump and the US State Department about President Bola Tinubu’s civil forfeiture case from 1993. Onanuga stated that if Atiku were Chinese, he would be imprisoned for his actions.

He accused Atiku of spending $1.2 million on American lobbyists to revive a matter the government claims was settled over 30 years ago. Onanuga expressed disappointment that Atiku, who has sought the presidency for over three decades, would resort to involving a foreign leader in Nigeria's domestic politics.

He emphasized Nigeria's sovereignty and called Atiku's actions inappropriate. Additionally, Onanuga questioned Atiku's own legal history in the US and criticized his record during the privatization program under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The statement concluded by asserting that President Tinubu remains focused on governance and his Renewed Hope Agenda.