Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President, has said President Bola Tinubu should vacate office if newly ordered U.S. investigative records reveal a tarnished past.
Atiku’s comments followed a decision by U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell, who instructed American law enforcement agencies to release documents linked to Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a 1990s federal drug investigation.
Judge Howell ruled that the government had failed to provide compelling reasons to keep the information secret.
“Keeping the information secret is neither logical nor plausible,” she stated.
In her judgment, she made it clear: “The FBI and DEA have provided no information to establish that a cognizable privacy interest exists in keeping secret the fact that Tinubu was a subject of criminal investigation.”
Reacting in a statement through his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said: “What it means is that the efforts of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will not be in vain… this is His Excellency’s attempt to ascertain exactly what transpired.”
He stressed that Nigeria deserves leaders with clean records: “Anyone occupying the Presidency must not be of tainted character.”
Atiku also pointed to the significance of the ruling, noting Nigeria’s global image is at stake. “This is not just about Nigeria,” he said.
“This is the foremost Black nation in the world the most populous. And so, we mean something to people around the world, especially the global Black community.”
He further called for openness in matters of governance.
“The government must ensure full disclosure. Nigerians need to know the background, academic records, age, state of origin, and the schools the leader attended,” he asserted.
However, MCC reports that despite the court’s ruling, the Presidency maintains that no new revelations are expected. President Tinubu’s media adviser, Bayo Onanuga, said, “There is nothing new to be revealed.
“The report by Agent Moss of the FBI and the DEA has been in the public space for more than 30 years.”
Onanuga added that although government lawyers are reviewing the judgment, the documents “add no fresh dimension” to Tinubu’s past.