The Presidency has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of overseeing what it described as an “egregious privatisation heist” during his tenure in office, alleging that the sale of national assets to political associates led to widespread job losses, unpaid salaries and pensions, the effects of which it said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is now addressing.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in response to Atiku’s reported lobbying efforts in the United States over President Tinubu’s past civil forfeiture case.
According to the Presidency, Nigerians have not forgotten Atiku’s role in the privatisation programme carried out while he served as vice president, insisting that his record in public office undermines his bid for the presidency.
The statement also criticised Atiku’s decision to engage American lobbyists and petition United States President Donald Trump, members of the US Congress and the US State Department over a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving Tinubu.
Onanuga argued that the matter had been resolved more than three decades ago and had no criminal conviction or finding of guilt against the President. He further maintained that the issue had been litigated and was effectively settled through Tinubu’s electoral victories and the Supreme Court’s judgment following the 2023 presidential election.
The Presidency described Atiku’s actions as inappropriate, saying reporting Nigeria’s President to a foreign government undermines the country’s sovereignty and dignity.
It argued that while lobbying is recognised in American politics, using foreign lobbyists to promote what it called “discredited documents” against a sitting Nigerian President amounted to an attempt to externalise domestic political disputes.
The statement further challenged Atiku to explain his own legal standing in the United States, claiming he featured prominently in the William Jefferson bribery scandal and was among the subjects of a US Senate investigation released in 2010 titled Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories.
According to the Presidency, the report alleged that Atiku and his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, used offshore companies to transfer suspect funds, including proceeds of alleged bribes from multinational companies, into the United States.
Onanuga also alleged that Atiku’s persistent quest for the presidency was motivated by a desire to obtain diplomatic immunity and avoid potential legal issues abroad, dismissing his renewed focus on Tinubu’s past as a failed attempt to revive issues from the 2023 election campaign.
The Presidency further accused the former vice president of prioritising media campaigns and lobbying abroad instead of offering policy alternatives to address Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.
It maintained that President Tinubu remained focused on implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda, stabilising the economy, attracting investment, improving security and restoring Nigeria’s international standing despite what it described as Atiku’s political distractions.