ATIKU FIRES BACK AT PRESIDENCY, INVOKES CHINA OVER TINUBU'S U.S. FORFEITURE CASE




By Joseph Etsevi

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Presidency to apply the same standards it invoked in comparing Nigeria's anti-corruption efforts with China's to issues surrounding President Bola Tinubu's past forfeiture case in the United States.

Reacting to comments from the Presidency, Atiku argued that rather than presenting the comparison with China as a political advantage, the government should consider how Chinese authorities would respond to the circumstances surrounding the $460,000 forfeited to the United States Government in a civil forfeiture case linked to allegations of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.

According to Atiku, China's reputation for uncompromising enforcement of drug-related offences suggests that such a forfeiture would be regarded not as the conclusion of a matter, but as the beginning of a thorough criminal investigation.

Expanding his criticism beyond the forfeiture issue, the former Vice President said the same standard of accountability would also draw attention to other controversies surrounding the current administration. He cited what he described as a national budget allegedly riddled with padding and questionable appropriations, unresolved allegations involving a senior presidential aide over the alleged creation of a fake government agency, and the growing disconnect between the Tinubu's administration "Renewed Hope" agenda and the economic struggles many Nigerians say they continue to experience.

Atiku also faulted the Presidency's communication strategy, arguing that the latest remarks reflected poorly on its handling of public messaging. He maintained that the responsibility of a Presidential Media Adviser is to protect the President from avoidable political controversies rather than deepen them.

He further dismissed the Presidency's earlier reliance on a response from the United States Government to diplomatic correspondence concerning the forfeiture matter, describing it as a routine exchange between two sovereign states rather than a judicial pronouncement or legal exoneration.

The exchange marks the latest chapter in the ongoing war of words between the Presidency and the former Vice President, as both sides continue to clash over issues of accountability, governance, and public perception.

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