Baba-Ahmed warns Tinubu-Atiku FBI records feud harms Nigeria's image more than the files
Baba-Ahmed, National Leader of the Peoples Redemption Party, said on Thursday that the ongoing dispute between President Bola Tinubu and former vice president Atiku Abubakar over Tinubu’s FBI records is doing more harm to Nigeria’s image than the records themselves. He noted the country already suffers from insecurity, corruption, poverty, crime, outsourced national security and weakened institutions.
Tinubu has filed a legal challenge in a US court to stop the Department of Justice, FBI and DEA from releasing documents dating back to the 1990s drug‑trafficking allegations against him. Activist Aaron Greenspan initiated the FOIA lawsuit, seeking the FBI’s full file on Tinubu, FBI Form 302 interview records from 1992‑1993 and records linked to a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving about $460,000 tied to Tinubu.
The saga unfolds as Nigerians grapple with daily challenges; the international perception of the country could affect foreign investment, diplomatic relations and citizens’ prospects abroad. With the image already under strain, should attention shift to fixing the underlying problems of governance and security, or does transparency about the allegations serve the public interest?