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The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has slammed President Bola Tinubu over his legal bid to prevent the release of records held by United States law enforcement agencies concerning past investigations involving him.

Obi, who described the development as “profoundly embarrassing,” argued that a sitting president should have the courage to confront questions surrounding his past rather than seek to shield such records from public scrutiny.

In a statement issued on Monday while reflecting on the state of the country, the former governor of Anambra state said his loyalty to Nigeria remained unwavering, adding that he had never sought citizenship of another country despite opportunities to do so.

He said he was saddened by the direction Nigeria was taking, particularly the example being set by those occupying positions of authority.

“It is profoundly embarrassing that we have reached a point where a sitting President is asking a foreign court to withhold records concerning his past, particularly records relating to matters of legitimate public interest,” Obi said.

According to him, leadership requires “courage and humility” to confront one’s history, acknowledge mistakes, explain controversial issues and apologise where necessary.

Obi noted that questions concerning a leader’s educational background, particularly foundational schooling at the primary and secondary levels, should not remain unresolved or be addressed mainly through legal proceedings.

“Nigerians deserve clear, credible, and verifiable explanations, especially when such had been submitted in the past,” he said.

The former governor said the issue was particularly significant because of the example it could set for millions of young Nigerians in schools.

He maintained that the Presidency should represent integrity, accountability, transparency and ethical leadership, insisting that an imperfect past should not necessarily define an individual if the person is willing to confront it honestly.

Obi’s comments followed recent legal proceedings in the United States in which Tinubu asked a federal court to reject efforts by transparency activist Aaron Greenspan to obtain records relating to past investigations involving the Nigerian leader.

Greenspan had instituted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking records from the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Among the records sought are the FBI’s complete file on Tinubu, including Form 302 interview records relating to the period between 1992 and 1993.

The case also involves records allegedly connected to a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding in the U.S. concerning approximately $460,000 linked to Tinubu.

Tinubu’s legal team, comprising Christopher W. Carmichael, Victor P. Henderson and Oluwole O. Afolabi, filed a 16-page submission urging the court to protect their client’s privacy interests.

The lawyers argued that the existence of information previously disclosed in connection with the forfeiture proceedings did not amount to a public disclosure of the contents or outcome of any possible criminal investigation.Geographic Reference

They further maintained that an individual’s privacy interest in government investigative files could remain intact even where portions of such information had previously entered the public domain.

Tinubu’s lawyers urged the court to reject Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment and uphold the FBI and DEA’s withholding of the requested materials under applicable U.S. privacy and transparency law.

Reacting to the broader implications, Obi asked Nigeria’s political class to recognise that political ambitions are temporary, while the country and the values established by its leaders endure.

“When will our political class fully appreciate that individual ambitions are temporary, while the nation endures?” he asked.

“The Presidency is an office held for a season; the moral standards established by those who occupy it can influence generations.

“Nigeria is greater than any one person, and the integrity of the Republic must always come before the interests of the individual,” he added.

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A 24-year-old pilot allegedly stole a plane while drunk and flew towards a nuclear power plant in Hungary, triggering a major emergency response before the aircraft crashed in a sunflower field.

The worrying flight path of the Cessna 172 entered the no-fly zone around Hungary’s largest nuclear power plant and triggered an alert on military radar.

Hungarian air force officials quickly mobilised a task force, with several fighter jets sent to intercept the aircraft.

The mid-air operation lasted only a few minutes before the pilot unexpectedly crash-landed in a sunflower field around four miles from the plant. Aerial footage showed a flattened trail through the sunflowers where the aircraft had bulldozed its way across the field.

The pilot was uninjured, but the Cessna 172 was left badly damaged after the crash. Police allege that the aircraft had been stolen from Kalocsa Airport. Following the emergency landing, the suspect allegedly attempted to flee the scene on foot, heading along a nearby road.

He was then spotted “in a distressed state” by a passing driver.

Police said the man attempted to take over the driver’s car, forcing the motorist to fight him off.

Officers said the allegedly intoxicated pilot “was stopped in time” before he could take control of the vehicle.

Police arrested the man at the scene and took him in for questioning.

Officers said testing would establish whether he had been under the influence of alcohol or other substances at the time of the incident.

The nuclear power plant, which supplies around 50 per cent of Hungary’s electricity, was not damaged during the incident.

Police are now investigating how the man allegedly managed to steal the aircraft and take off without being stopped.

The incident has also raised questions over how the aircraft was able to enter the restricted airspace around the nuclear facility before military authorities responded. It is not the first time an allegedly intoxicated pilot has been arrested.

Earlier this month, an allegedly intoxicated pilot was escorted from a plane by police just minutes before takeoff in Georgia, US.

David Allsop, 52, was removed from his flight in front of stunned passengers and subsequently had his pilot’s licence revoked. After being questioned by police, Allsop reportedly admitted that he had drunk “a few beers” the night before. He then suggested that the smell officers noticed had come from his nicotine gum.

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has indicated that it will no longer sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to major oil marketers that hold valid licences to import the product.

Industry sources said the refinery’s decision is targeted at companies that continue to bring petrol into Nigeria despite the increasing availability of locally refined products.

According to figures cited by Dangote Refinery, imported petrol accounted for about 43 per cent of total PMS supply in July.

The refinery is concerned that the continued influx of imported petrol is reducing the market available to domestic refiners and could undermine investments in local refining capacity.

Under the new arrangement, Dangote Refinery is expected to prioritise marketers that do not have petrol import licences.

Companies that continue to import PMS under the Federal Government’s approved import regime may therefore no longer be able to purchase petrol directly from the refinery.

Six companies were issued licences by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in May to import PMS. They are Matrix Energy, A.A. Rano, AYM Shafa, NIPCO, Pinnacle Oil and Gas, and Bono Energy.

Such a situation, the sources said, could make it difficult for consumers and regulators to distinguish between Dangote’s products and imported fuel. Any quality-related complaints could consequently affect the refinery’s reputation.

The refinery has also questioned whether NMDPRA currently has sufficient laboratory capacity to conduct comprehensive testing of imported petrol entering the Nigerian market.

Dangote Refinery’s latest position represents a further escalation of its longstanding concerns over continued petrol imports into Nigeria.

The refinery has previously warned that sustained imports could force it to export more of its refined products rather than incur the high cost of storing unsold petrol locally.

The development could lead to a more divided supply system in the Nigerian downstream oil market, with Dangote Refinery supplying mainly marketers that do not import petrol while licensed importers source a larger share of their products from overseas.

The development could lead to a more divided supply system in the Nigerian downstream oil market, with Dangote Refinery supplying mainly marketers that do not import petrol while licensed importers source a larger share of their products from overseas.

This could affect the availability of petrol at different depots, demand for imported cargoes and, potentially, pump prices across different parts of the country.

The Federal Government had approved petrol import licences as part of efforts to ensure adequate supply and maintain competition in the downstream petroleum sector. Dangote Refinery, however, maintains that continued dependence on imported petrol could weaken the market for locally refined products and discourage further investment in domestic refining capacity.