The 2027 political battle took a fresh turn on Friday as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, challenged President Bola Tinubu to subject his own records to public scrutiny before revisiting allegations against him.
Atiku, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, argued that attempts to revive allegations linked to his political dispute with former President Olusegun Obasanjo were a distraction from the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.
The former vice-president said the allegations had previously been examined by several institutions, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an administrative panel, the National Assembly and the courts.
According to him, none of those processes resulted in his conviction.
Atiku therefore challenged anyone in possession of fresh and credible evidence against him to take such evidence before the courts rather than repeatedly circulating old allegations in the media.
He said the renewed focus on past accusations appeared to be coming at a time when Nigerians were demanding answers over the rising cost of living, transportation, electricity, rent, education, insecurity and healthcare.
The ADC candidate also turned his attention to Tinubu’s legal intervention in a United States court matter concerning requests for FBI and DEA records linked to the President.
Atiku questioned why individuals demanding transparency from political opponents should resist scrutiny of their own records.
He further cautioned against the politicisation of the EFCC, stressing that the anti-corruption agency belongs to Nigeria and should not be used as an instrument against political opponents.
The former vice-president maintained that the 2027 presidential election should focus on the performance and records of political leaders rather than what he described as recycled allegations.
