Tinubu’s US legal battle: Group questions silence of elder statesmen

The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum has called on prominent Nigerian elder statesmen, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar and former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, to speak publicly about unresolved questions surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s past and an ongoing legal dispute in the United States.

President of the forum, Chief Akin Malaolu, made the demand in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, describing the controversy as an issue of transparency, accountability and Nigeria’s international reputation rather than merely another political dispute.

Malaolu claimed that U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records referenced in court proceedings relate to a criminal investigation involving drug-trafficking offences and that Tinubu was the subject of the investigation.

He, however, acknowledged that being investigated does not amount to being convicted or establishing criminal guilt.

“This does not amount to a conviction, nor should anyone pretend that an investigation is proof of guilt,” Malaolu said, arguing that the existence of questions arising from foreign law-enforcement records nevertheless warrants public scrutiny.

The forum questioned why prominent Nigerian statesmen who have historically intervened in debates concerning democracy, governance and Nigeria’s international standing had remained largely silent on the matter.

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Malaolu specifically referenced Obasanjo, who was president while Tinubu served as Lagos State governor, asking whether the government of the period had adequately established the facts surrounding the controversy.

He also suggested that reported political alignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election could make Obasanjo’s silence subject to public interpretation.

“Political considerations” should not, he argued, be allowed to override matters of principle and national interest.

The forum similarly challenged Abubakar, Anyaoku, Professor Wole Soyinka and former President Goodluck Jonathan to explain their positions.

“Where are Chief Emeka Anyaoku, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Professor Wole Soyinka, former President Goodluck Jonathan and the other respected Nigerians who have consistently spoken out when they believed that the nation’s democracy, institutions or international reputation was at stake?” Malaolu asked.

The group stressed that it was not calling for Tinubu to be declared guilty.

Rather, it wants the relevant records and circumstances examined through what it described as a credible, independent and transparent process.

“If there is nothing in the records that implicates the President in wrongdoing, then full lawful disclosure should help put the matter to rest,” Malaolu said.

The controversy centres partly on legal efforts in the United States concerning records held by American law-enforcement authorities. The forum argued that the issue deserves attention because of the potential implications for the credibility of Nigeria’s presidency and the country’s international standing.

It also questioned whether U.S. restrictions on sensitive law-enforcement information should outweigh Nigerians’ interest in understanding matters concerning their president.

Malaolu urged Tinubu to take the initiative by supporting the fullest lawful disclosure of relevant information and providing clear explanations to Nigerians.

The group warned against allowing the controversy to remain unresolved, citing past international developments involving countries such as Venezuela and Panama as examples of how legal and geopolitical issues can evolve rapidly.