Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has thrown down the gauntlet to President Bola Tinubu, demanding he release his personal records for public examination before dredging up old accusations. The challenge came through a statement issued Friday by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, who accused government defenders of weaponizing history to dodge accountability for Nigeria’s deteriorating economy.
Atiku insists he’s already faced scrutiny. He pointed to investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, an administrative panel, the National Assembly, and the courts during his fallout with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. None resulted in conviction, he stressed. Why revisit settled matters now?
The former presidential candidate argued that government supporters resort to twenty-year-old files when they can’t explain why food, transportation, and healthcare have become unaffordable for ordinary Nigerians. He challenged anyone holding fresh evidence against him to present it through proper legal channels rather than relying on repeated allegations.
Atiku also referenced Tinubu’s legal efforts in a United States court to block requests for FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration records linked to him. Someone demanding privacy for his own records shouldn’t ask others for transparency while avoiding similar examination, Atiku said. The 2027 elections should hinge on performance, not recycled controversies.
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