The Presidency has launched a scathing attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of attempting to internationalise Nigeria’s domestic politics by allegedly lobbying U.S. President Donald Trump, members of the U.S. Congress and the U.S. State Department over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a State House press statement issued on Thursday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Atiku’s reported actions as unbecoming of an elder statesman and reflective of what he called an “obsession” with becoming Nigeria’s president.
According to the Presidency, Atiku’s lobbying group in the United States recently submitted petitions relating to a civil forfeiture case involving President Tinubu dating back to 1993. 
The statement argued that the matter had been resolved more than three decades ago and did not result in any criminal conviction against the President.
“This issue was resolved over 30 years ago in the United States and has been thoroughly litigated, explained, and rendered moot by the electoral mandates conferred on President Bola Tinubu,” the statement said.
The Presidency further maintained that Nigeria is a sovereign nation and that seeking the intervention of a foreign government in domestic political affairs undermines the country’s independence and democratic institutions.
It argued that the 2023 presidential election and subsequent Supreme Court judgment had settled the issue politically and legally.
The statement also challenged Atiku to explain what it described as his own legal history in the United States.
It referenced the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a 2010 U.S. Senate investigative report titled Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories, claiming the report discussed financial transactions involving Atiku and his former wife, Jennifer Douglas.
The Presidency alleged that Atiku had used offshore companies to transfer funds into the United States, although the statement did not indicate that he had been convicted of any criminal offence arising from those allegations.
The Presidency also revisited Atiku’s tenure as Vice President between 1999 and 2007, accusing him of overseeing what it described as a flawed privatization programme that allegedly benefited associates at the expense of the Nigerian public.
According to the statement, the privatization exercise resulted in job losses, unpaid salaries and pension obligations, while claiming the current administration is addressing those challenges.
The Presidency said President Tinubu remains focused on implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda, including economic reforms, investment promotion and security initiatives, rather than engaging in political disputes.
It described Atiku as a “perennial loser” in presidential elections and insisted that political lobbying abroad would not influence Nigeria’s democratic process.
As of the time of filing this report, Atiku Abubakar and his media team had not publicly responded to the Presidency’s latest statement.
