Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Presidency for citing China’s legal system in its defence of President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the comparison has only intensified public attention on questions surrounding Tinubu’s past.
Atiku, who is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, described the Presidency’s response as a “monumental own goal,” saying that China’s strict laws on drug-related offences made the comparison counterproductive.
The dispute followed comments by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who accused Atiku of corruption and argued that he would have faced severe punishment under China’s legal system if he were a Chinese citizen.
In response, Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the Presidency focused more on attacking Atiku personally rather than addressing the issues raised about President Tinubu’s past legal matters in the United States.
“When governments abandon facts for insults and substitute evidence with abuse, they unwittingly admit that they have run out of convincing answers,” Shaibu said.
He argued that the Presidency’s reference to China had created further scrutiny because of the country’s tough approach to serious drug offences and corruption.
“It takes a peculiar kind of unintelligence for a spokesman to set out to drag an opponent before a hypothetical Chinese court, only to end up dragging his own principal into the dock,” Shaibu stated.
Atiku maintained that he had never been indicted or convicted of corruption, narcotics-related offences, or any criminal offence in Nigeria or abroad.
According to him, the central issue remained the 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding in the United States involving $460,000 that was forfeited to the U.S. government. He argued that the matter deserved public discussion rather than political attacks.
Atiku said China’s strict accountability system would likely subject such issues to further investigation rather than simply treating forfeiture as the end of the matter.
He also criticised the Tinubu administration over governance issues, alleging that China’s system would not tolerate matters such as budget controversies, alleged abuse of office, or claims involving public officials without swift action.
“Not in China would a president sign into law a national budget immersed in scandals, padding and duplicitous appropriations,” Atiku said.
The former vice president also rejected the Presidency’s presentation of a recent response from U.S. authorities to Nigeria’s diplomatic inquiries as proof that President Tinubu had been cleared.
He argued that diplomatic correspondence between governments does not amount to a court judgment or a legal declaration of innocence.
“The Presidency should stop brandishing the United States Government’s reply to its diplomatic correspondence as though it were a judicial acquittal,” he said.
Atiku urged the administration to focus on economic hardship, insecurity, and institutional challenges rather than engaging in political exchanges.
The latest dispute adds to the ongoing political confrontation between the Presidency and opposition figures over allegations concerning President Tinubu’s past in the United States.
The controversy resurfaced after the Presidency cited responses from U.S. authorities regarding inquiries into Tinubu’s past legal matters, while opposition figures questioned whether the response should be interpreted as a full exoneration.
Both sides have continued trading accusations, with the Presidency focusing on Atiku’s record in government and Atiku’s camp insisting that the administration should address questions surrounding Tinubu directly.