The Atiku Media Office has told the Presidency that whitewashing the alleged drug scandal of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would not erase the fact that he forfeited $460,000 to the Government of the United States of America.
It queried Tinubu’s decision to “block plans to unravel” what is in his files with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice.
The statement, on Thursday, said: “Our attention has been drawn to a reckless and shameful press statement signed on behalf of President Bola Tinubu by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga.
“The statement attempts to bury the records of the narcotics trafficking case against Bola Tinubu in the US under an unwieldy and hollow essay.
“We are shocked that the Presidency would claim that the narcotics trafficking charges against Tinubu have ‘long been settled’ and rendered moot by an electoral mandate. This argument essentially admits that Tinubu indeed faced investigation on narcotics trafficking, but suggests that his current position as President grants him immunity, thereby wiping the records of his links to the heroin scandal clean.
“As the popular Yoruba adage goes: an aged bowl of pounded yam can still steam. We challenge Bayo Onanuga and the Tinubu media team: if the case against their principal is truly time-barred, why are they so panicky about any attempt to revisit it? Why is President Tinubu blocking every move to unravel what is in his FBI/DOJ US files?
“The Office of the President is more than a mere political position. It is an office that mirrors the soul of the society it governs. Having an alleged ex-trafficker in that office inflicts serious reputational damage on Nigeria’s image and on every Nigerian on the global stage.
“The Presidency’s media team should be reminded that issues of criminal justice are never completely thrown out. They can be revisited at any material time, especially when new circumstances arise.
“Between 2023 and 2027, there has been a change of leadership in the United States. It is the duty of law enforcement agencies to determine whether the case can be reopened in the interest of justice.
“Revisiting the narcotics case against a sitting president is not an affront to the intelligence of Nigerians. Rather, it is a bold attempt to ensure that the wheel of justice continues to turn.
“If President Tinubu has nothing to hide about his records in the US narcotics scandal, he should submit himself to the process of revisiting the case instead of resorting to his usual tactics — frustrating disclosures through frivolous court appeals or deploying his media team to issue long, hollow essays aimed at rewriting history for personal gain.”
