ATIKU Media Aide Faults Presidency on US-FOIA Case Involving President TINUBU

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, ATIKU ABUBAKAR, has faulted the statement by the Presidency on the case involving President BOLA AHMED TINUBU in the United States.

In the statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, BAYO ONANUGA, said President TINUBU was not facing a criminal case in the US, contrary to insinuations in some quarters.

ONANUGA maintained that the ongoing proceedings before a court in Washington DC is about a civil dispute over access to government records, adding that the proceedings have not resulted in any finding of criminal wrongdoing against President TINUBU.

He said case filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, under the United States Freedom of Information Act, should not be regarded as a criminal trial against the Nigerian President.

However, one of ATIKU ABUBAKAR’s Media Advisers, PAUL IBE, criticized Presidency for answering questions nobody asked, while avoiding the questions Nigerians are actually asking.

In a post on his Facebook page, PAUL IBE said the issue is what the FBI and DEA records contain and why the Presidency is so invested in preventing their full disclosure.

He also wondered why the Presidency is spending so much energy attacking AARON GREENSPAN, ATIKU ABUBAKAR and his US lobbyist, KARL VON BATTEN.

PAUL IBE noted that the identity or political affiliation of the person seeking disclosure does not determine what is inside an FBI or DEA file.

IBE said Nigerians are entitled to transparency concerning matters that have generated serious questions about the person occupying the highest office in the land.

He said the Presidency cannot simultaneously say, there is nothing to see, while asking that records concerning the matter remain protected from public scrutiny.