The Presidency has confirmed the existence of 399 pages of FBI and DEA records relating to President Bola Tinubu, with portions redacted, and acknowledged that Tinubu personally intervened in the litigation. However, Peter Obi's spokesperson, Paul Ibe, has publicly challenged this response, accusing the administration of dodging the core questions Nigerians are asking about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case.
Presidency's Admission and Ibe's Challenge
In a statement shared via his official X account on Wednesday, September 3, Ibe said the Presidency's position amounted to answering questions that no one had raised while sidestepping the substance of the dispute. He pointed out that the Presidency itself had confirmed two significant facts: that the FBI and DEA have produced 399 pages of records, portions of which are redacted, and that President Tinubu personally intervened in the litigation through his lawyers, invoking privacy protections to resist further disclosure.
Ibe also noted that the Presidency continues to rely on a 2003 US Consulate letter stating that an FBI check at that time found no arrest records, wants, or warrants against Tinubu. He questioned the logic of treating a records check conducted over two decades ago as a permanent clearance, arguing that it could not logically cover every investigation or proceeding that may have existed before or after that date. He added that the authenticity of the 2003 letter had itself been questioned.
Defending the FOIA Requesters
Ibe pushed back against the Presidency's criticism of those behind the FOIA request, which include activist Aaron Greenspan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and Karl Von Batten. He argued that the identity or political background of whoever filed the request had no bearing on what is inside an FBI or DEA file. "The documents, not the messenger, are the issue," Ibe wrote.
He also clarified the legal distinction between FOIA exemptions and judicial findings, saying that a government's right to withhold certain information does not mean that the underlying allegations have been proven false. He noted that the FBI has submitted material to the presiding judge for private review, and that the broader dispute over disclosure remains unresolved.
Call for Transparency
Ibe closed by calling on the Presidency to stop what he described as political distractions and to allow Nigerians access to whatever records the court determines can lawfully be made public. "This is not about Atiku. It is not about Von Batten. It is not about Aaron Greenspan. It is about transparency, accountability and the right of Nigerians to know," he wrote.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Atiku's spokesperson, Paul Ibe, dismissed a Political Intelligence Group projection that put President Tinubu ahead in the 2027 presidential race. In a statement, Atiku's camp questioned the credibility and transparency of the forecast.
