Trump letter: You are undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty with US petition – Presidency replies Atiku

By Precious Mark

The Nigerian Presidency has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of undermining Nigeria’s national sovereignty following his decision to petition United States President Donald Trump and the US Congress over a long-settled civil forfeiture case involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a statement released on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency hit back at the former Vice President over his lobbying activities abroad.

“Reporting the President of Nigeria to another country’s leader is not only inappropriate but also undermines the nation’s dignity and independence.”

“Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a satellite of any foreign power,” the statement read in part.

The Presidency further noted that the 1993 case was resolved more than 30 years ago without any criminal conviction or finding of guilt against President Tinubu.

“It is baffling that disappointing, that someone who has sought the presidency for over three decades now resorts to reporting the President of Nigeria to US President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress,” Onanuga is quoted as saying.

According to the Presidency, reviving the matter through paid foreign lobbyists is “an attempt to externalise domestic politics and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.”

The statement added that the legal issues surrounding the matter had already been thoroughly litigated and rendered moot by the electoral mandate conferred on President Tinubu by Nigerian voters during the 2023 presidential election and subsequently affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Challenging the former Vice President’s own statement, the Presidency urged Atiku to clear up lingering questions around his past legal troubles in the United States, citing his involvement in the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a 2010 US Senate report detailing how offshore accounts were used to transfer suspect funds into the country.

“Atiku should first clear his own name before pointing fingers at others,” he said.