“If Atiku Wants U.S. Scrutiny on Tinubu, He Should Explain His Own Record First” — Presidency Fires Back as ADC, APM Reject Trump Letter

A fresh political storm erupted on Thursday as the Presidency launched a blistering attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of attempting to drag Nigeria’s domestic politics onto the international stage by lobbying the United States against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The latest exchange has further deepened tensions between the ruling administration and opposition figures ahead of the 2027 political season, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) also joining the debate over a recent letter reportedly sent by U.S. President Donald Trump to President Tinubu.

In a strongly worded statement titled, “When Will Atiku Abubakar Report Himself to President Trump?”, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, accused the former vice president of placing personal political ambition above national interest.

According to Onanuga, efforts by Atiku’s supporters and lobbyists in the United States to petition President Trump, the U.S. State Department and members of Congress over President Tinubu’s 1993 civil forfeiture case were unnecessary and politically motivated.

He argued that the matter had been conclusively resolved decades ago, having been litigated in the United States and revisited during Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election disputes, including proceedings before the Supreme Court.

Onanuga maintained that Nigeria remains a sovereign nation capable of handling its political affairs without foreign interference, insisting that attempts to seek international involvement in domestic political matters were unbecoming of a former vice president.

While acknowledging that lobbying is a legitimate part of American politics, the presidential aide argued that recruiting foreign actors to revive allegations against a sitting Nigerian president amounted to an effort to internationalise local political disputes.

The Presidency did not stop there.

Onanuga challenged Atiku to address questions surrounding his own history in the United States, pointing to references contained in the William Jefferson bribery scandal and a 2010 report by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations titled “Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States: Four Case Histories.”

The report examined financial transactions involving Atiku and his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, a matter the Presidency said deserved equal public scrutiny.

The presidential spokesman also revisited Atiku’s role during Nigeria’s privatisation programme under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, alleging that the exercise transferred key national assets to politically connected individuals and contributed to widespread job losses.

Rather than pursuing political campaigns abroad, Onanuga said Atiku should focus on presenting alternative policies capable of addressing Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.

However, opposition parties swiftly pushed back against another issue dominating the political conversation—the Presidency’s celebration of a reported letter from U.S. President Donald Trump to President Tinubu.

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The African Democratic Congress dismissed suggestions that the correspondence amounted to an international endorsement of Tinubu’s administration, arguing that diplomatic letters between world leaders are routine and should not be mistaken for validation of government performance.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said any attempt to portray the letter as proof of success ignored the harsh realities facing many Nigerians.

The party pointed to worsening insecurity across parts of the country, noting that women and children remain in captivity in Borno and Kaiama in Kwara State, while communities in Benue and several other states continue to grapple with violent attacks and fear.

According to the ADC, the true test of any administration is not international recognition but the daily experiences of its citizens.

“A letter from a foreign president cannot replace the judgment of the Nigerian people,” the party said, adding that celebrating diplomatic correspondence as political validation reflected what it described as the administration’s growing desperation for external approval.

The Allied Peoples Movement also accused the Presidency of exaggerating the significance of Trump’s letter.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, the party argued that the correspondence merely acknowledged Tinubu’s commitment to addressing insecurity and did not amount to praise for actual achievements in combating terrorism.

The APM described as misleading claims that Trump had endorsed the administration’s anti-terrorism record, insisting that a careful reading of the letter revealed no commendation of concrete security successes.

The party quoted a section of the correspondence in which Trump reportedly praised Tinubu’s “resolve to tackle the issues plaguing” Nigeria, particularly violence affecting Christian communities.

According to the APM, acknowledging a leader’s determination is fundamentally different from applauding measurable results.

The party maintained that the Presidency had distorted the contents of the letter in an attempt to bolster the administration’s image amid mounting concerns over security and governance.

With the Presidency, Atiku’s camp and opposition parties now locked in a fierce war of words, the controversy has once again highlighted how Nigeria’s political battles are increasingly being fought both at home and on the global stage.