A United States-based advocacy firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has accused President Bola Tinubu of being desperate to retain power ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The firm alleged that Tinubu was prepared to use security agencies, the judiciary and electoral institutions to manipulate the electoral process and secure another term in office.
Von Batten-Montague-York made the allegations in a statement published on its verified X handle on Thursday, amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 polls. 
The firm’s remarks followed reports that five men were arrested in Borno State for wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”
Reacting to the incident, the advocacy firm raised concerns about what it described as threats to democratic freedoms and the rule of law in Nigeria.
It also called attention to the importance of the United States standing with Nigerians in the defence of democracy and their constitutional rights.
In its statement, the firm claimed that Tinubu had personal reasons for seeking to remain in office, including the legal protections associated with presidential immunity.
“Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is desperate to remain in power for many self-beneficial reasons, including something called head-of-state immunity, a doctrine that can protect sitting heads of state from the jurisdiction of foreign courts while they remain in office,” the firm stated.
The organisation further alleged that Tinubu’s presidency could shield him from a possible fresh examination of allegations concerning his alleged involvement in heroin trafficking in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s.
“Tinubu is now fully aware that the only thing standing in the way of a possible official re-examination of his alleged role in the trafficking of heroin from Nigeria into the United States during the 1980s and 1990s, and a possible new criminal indictment, is his current status as President of Nigeria,” it added.
The allegations remain claims made by the advocacy firm and do not, in themselves, establish wrongdoing by the Nigerian President.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, debates over political freedoms, the conduct of security agencies and the credibility of the electoral process are expected to remain prominent in Nigeria’s political discourse.
