The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to release records about President Bola Tinubu that can legally be made public, while still protecting its investigators, sources, and sensitive investigative methods.
Atiku made the appeal in a statement issued on Saturday, August 22, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. The statement came in response to the FBI's request to file confidential explanations over its decision to withhold certain records relating to investigations involving Tinubu.
FBI Seeks Private Court Filings
The FBI had approached a US District Court in the District of Columbia, seeking permission to submit declarations ex parte and in camera, meaning the explanations would be presented privately to the court. In its August 20 application, the agency argued that it could not publicly disclose all the reasons for withholding some of the records because doing so could expose sensitive investigative techniques and potentially endanger lives.
However, Atiku rejected this argument, stating that the FBI could safeguard sensitive information through appropriate redactions while still releasing documents that are legally available for public scrutiny. He cautioned the agency against using those protections to “shield” President Tinubu from lawful public scrutiny.
Atiku Questions FBI's Safety Concerns
“The FBI says disclosure could endanger lives, but Nigerians are already suffering and dying as a result of the hardship caused by the Tinubu administration’s economic policies,” Atiku said. “Which lives? Nigerians are already dying.”
Atiku linked the widespread hardship directly to the removal of the fuel subsidy, explaining that the policy has severely affected transportation expenses, food costs, production, and employment across the country.
“Fuel affects transportation. Transportation affects food prices. Energy affects production. Production affects jobs. All of them determine whether an ordinary Nigerian family can survive until the end of the month,” Atiku added.
Demand for Legal Transparency
On the requested FBI records, Atiku stressed that his demand was not for the agency to compromise undercover officers, confidential informants, or investigative techniques, but rather to release information that American law permits to be disclosed.
“This is not an attempt to interfere in Nigeria’s politics. It is a humanitarian and democratic appeal because Nigerians have the right to access information that can legitimately be made public about those who exercise enormous power over their lives,” Atiku said.
He maintained that citizens deserve to know relevant information about the background and character of their leaders, urging the FBI to distinguish between details that genuinely require protection and public records that can be released without compromising ongoing operations.
