ABUJA — The Presidency has launched a scathing attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of undermining Nigeria’s national sovereignty by hiring American lobbying firms to report President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to U.S. President Donald Trump and members of the U.S. Congress.

In a official statement released on July 23, 2026, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Atiku’s foreign lobbying offensive as an unpatriotic attempt to “externalise domestic politics” following his defeat in the 2023 presidential election.

The reaction follows disclosures that Atiku’s Washington-based representatives submitted petitions to President Trump and the U.S. State Department regarding a 1993 civil forfeiture case in Illinois involving President Tinubu—a matter the State House insists was legally settled over three decades ago.

Key Points from the State House Statement

  [ 1993 US Civil Forfeiture ] ---> Settled 30+ years ago; no criminal conviction.
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  [ 2023 Electoral Mandate ]  ---> Validated by Nigerian voters & Supreme Court.
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  [ $1.2M US Lobbying Push ]  ---> Termed an "affront to national sovereignty" by Presidency.

The Presidency raised several sharp objections to the former Vice President’s actions:

• Affront to Sovereignty: Onanuga asserted that reporting a sitting Nigerian President to a foreign leader reduces Nigeria to a satellite state. “Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a satellite of any foreign power. Reporting the President of Nigeria to another country’s leader is not only inappropriate but also undermines the nation’s dignity,” the statement read.
• Questions Over Atiku’s US Record: Challenging Atiku to clarify his own legal history in Washington, the Presidency cited his prominent mention in the 2010 U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report (“Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the United States”) chaired by late Senator Carl Levin, as well as past ties to the Congressman William Jefferson bribery scandal.
• Recycling Discredited Claims: The State House noted that allegations regarding the 1993 Chicago case were fully litigated prior to the 2023 general elections and dismissed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
• Defense of Economic Reforms: Rebutting accusations of economic mismanagement, the Presidency defended President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda while criticizing Atiku’s tenure as head of the National Council on Privatisation under the Obasanjo administration.

Washington Political Warfare Escalates

The statement marks a sharp diplomatic response from Abuja after Atiku’s U.S. lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., confirmed circulating 1990s law enforcement files to members of the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill.

While Atiku’s camp maintains that seeking international transparency is a legitimate exercise in democratic accountability, the Presidency insists that political actors must seek leadership through domestic engagement rather than external validation.