Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to release immediately any records relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that can legally be disclosed.
Atiku’s demand followed a fresh development in the long-running Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation over historical U.S. investigative records concerning Tinubu. The FBI has asked a U.S. federal court for permission to explain privately why some of the records should remain withheld, citing concerns including the safety of individuals and protected investigative information.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku rejected the FBI’s argument that disclosure could endanger lives, arguing that such a justification should not become a blanket reason for withholding information that can lawfully be made public.
Atiku reportedly asked the FBI to distinguish between genuinely sensitive information that deserves legal protection and records that can be released in the public interest. He maintained that Nigerians deserve transparency concerning matters involving their president, particularly where the records are subject to an ongoing judicial process.
The controversy centres on FOIA requests seeking records connected to U.S. investigations from the early 1990s involving allegations of drug trafficking and a 1993 civil forfeiture case. Tinubu has not been criminally charged or convicted in connection with the matter and has consistently maintained that the case did not amount to a criminal conviction.
The latest development comes as a U.S. court considers the FBI’s request to submit some of its explanations privately, known legally as an ex parte, in camera submission. Such a procedure allows a judge to examine sensitive material privately before deciding whether any portion should remain exempt from public disclosure.
Atiku’s intervention adds another political dimension to the legal battle, which has become increasingly prominent ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election. His position is that the public interest requires maximum lawful disclosure rather than prolonged secrecy.
The FBI’s request, however, does not by itself mean that all the disputed records will remain secret. The final decision on what can or cannot be released rests with the U.S. court.
