The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called on United States authorities to release the findings of a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report reportedly containing records linked to allegations of drug trafficking involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The opposition party said the reported attempt by the Presidency to prevent the release of the records could deepen public suspicion and fuel further questions about the matter.
The APM made its position known in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar.
The party argued that the entire report did not necessarily have to be made public if some portions contained sensitive information, saying the US authorities could redact materials capable of exposing witnesses, investigators or investigative techniques.
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“The APM notes that the US authorities can release aspects of the report that will not endanger lives, expose witnesses, investigators or techniques used in the investigation,” Abubakar said.
According to the party, withholding the information could have consequences beyond the political controversy surrounding Tinubu, particularly for Nigeria’s international image, national integrity and democratic development.
The APM also urged the United States to maintain transparency in the global fight against drug trafficking and corruption, arguing that the issue had acquired international significance with the approach of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
The party cited a 1993 US court judgment involving the forfeiture of about $460,000 from accounts linked to Tinubu following an investigation into drug-related transactions.
It further argued that the historical forfeiture should be considered in relation to Section 137 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as amended, which sets out circumstances that may disqualify a person from being elected president.
“The effect of the $460,000 forfeiture judgement is that by virtue of section 137 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), President Tinubu remains ineligible for election in Nigeria,” the party claimed.
The APM also referred to Nigeria’s international commitments concerning drug trafficking and money laundering, saying the United States should assist Nigerians in accessing relevant information before the 2027 election.
It said voters should be able to assess the records and background of presidential candidates before making their choice at the polls.
“Against the backdrop of the coming Presidential election, the APM urges the United States authorities to assist Nigerians in their decision to elect a leader with clean records and not an individual encumbered by drug-related allegations and corruption cases,” the party said.
The development follows a separate legal challenge in the US in which Tinubu’s lawyers are seeking to prevent the release of FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration records linked to historical investigations concerning him. His legal team has argued that disclosure of the records could infringe on his privacy rights.
The allegations and the APM’s interpretation of the 1993 forfeiture do not, by themselves, establish that Tinubu committed drug trafficking or any other criminal offence. The current dispute centres on the disclosure of US government records and the legal basis for withholding or releasing them.
