Morganable Politics/Governance
The firm listed several FOIA request numbers, claiming that the agencies declined to release the records despite legal efforts to compel disclosure
kaNo —
A United States-based lobbying firm linked to Atiku Abubakar has renewed calls for the release of documents relating to Bola Tinubu’s past case in the United States, intensifying political tensions ahead of the 2027 general election.
The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, made the demand in a statement published on its official X account, alleging that US law enforcement agencies failed to comply with multiple requests for information connected to Tinubu’s alleged links to heroin trafficking investigations dating back decades.
According to the statement, the requests were filed under the Freedom of Information Act by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan and directed to agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The firm listed several FOIA request numbers, claiming that the agencies declined to release the records despite legal efforts to compel disclosure.
“The FBI, the Justice Department and the DEA under former President Joe Biden refused FOIA requests to release records concerning Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s alleged heroin trafficking from Nigeria to Chicago,” the firm stated.
“Yet, no files have been released. This is going to change,” the firm added.
Lobbying Firm To Engage Stakeholders
Beyond the demand for document disclosure, the lobbying group announced plans to engage anti-drug organisations, religious leaders and victims of heroin abuse in the United States to draw attention to the issue.
It said the engagements would focus on the alleged historical links between Tinubu and drug-related investigations, although no new evidence was presented in the statement.
“As President Donald Trump has rightfully shown, US agencies must never protect foreign leaders accused of having links to drugs smuggled into the United States,” the firm said, adding that meetings with stakeholders were scheduled for the coming week.
The development marks the latest escalation in a long-running political dispute between the Presidency and opposition figures over Tinubu’s 1993 civil forfeiture case in the United States.
The case, concluded more than three decades ago, involved the forfeiture of funds linked to bank accounts associated with Tinubu.
While the Presidency has consistently maintained that no criminal conviction was recorded against the President, opposition figures have continued to demand further disclosure of related documents.
In his remarks, Atiku accused the Presidency of mishandling the issue, arguing that its defense strategy had drawn more public attention to the allegations.
Through his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president described the Presidency’s position as counterproductive, particularly its reference to China’s strict anti-drug laws in defending Tinubu.
“It takes a peculiar kind of unintelligence for a spokesman to set out to drag an opponent before a hypothetical Chinese court, only to end up dragging his own principal into the dock,” Atiku said.
Presidency Dismisses Claim
The Presidency had earlier dismissed the allegations and maintained that US authorities had confirmed there were no outstanding criminal proceedings against Tinubu.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga also pushed back against Atiku’s claims, accusing the former vice president of corruption during his time in office and arguing that similar conduct would have attracted severe penalties under stricter legal systems.
The exchange highlights the increasingly sharp rhetoric between the ruling administration and opposition leaders as political activities ahead of the 2027 election begin to gather momentum.
In a related development, Atiku Abubakar has also challenged the Federal Government to account for what he described as a significant oil revenue windfall, raising questions about fiscal transparency and public finance management.
Atiku Challenges Tinubu Over Incessant Borrowing
In a statement issued by his media aide, Atiku alleged that the government had benefited from crude oil prices significantly above the benchmark set in the 2026 budget, yet continued to engage in large-scale domestic borrowing.
According to him, the Federal Government raised approximately ₦5tn from the domestic bond market in the first half of 2026, representing nearly 80 per cent of the amount borrowed during the same period in 2025.
“The exact opposite is the case,” Atiku said, noting that crude oil prices averaged around $92 per barrel between March 1 and July 14, above the benchmark used in the national budget.
Based on his calculations, the difference between projected and actual oil prices translated into an estimated additional revenue of $5.76bn, or about ₦7.98tn, over a 135-day period.
“This naturally raises two unavoidable questions. First, why is a government enjoying such an extraordinary oil windfall borrowing at almost twice last year’s pace as though the nation were in financial distress? Second, where is the money?” he asked.
The former vice president called for greater transparency in the management of excess crude revenues, urging the government to provide a detailed account of how the funds were utilised.
He also criticised what he described as the absence of clear fiscal buffers, noting that previous administrations maintained mechanisms such as the Sovereign Wealth Fund to manage surplus earnings.
“Nigerians deserve a full accounting of this windfall. Where has the money gone? Why is there no transparent disclosure of the proceeds from excess crude sales?” the statement added.
The Federal Government has yet to issue an official response to the latest claims regarding oil revenue, but officials have previously defended their fiscal policies, citing economic challenges and the need to sustain public spending.
Political observers say the twin issues of transparency and accountability both in historical allegations and current economic management are likely to dominate public discourse as the 2027 elections approach.
They note that while the Presidency continues to dismiss the allegations surrounding Tinubu’s past, opposition figures appear determined to keep the issue in the spotlight as part of a broader strategy to challenge the administration.
As the situation unfolds, the call for transparency, whether in the release of decades-old records or the management of present-day revenues, remains central to the ongoing contest between the government and its critics.
