ABUJA, NIGERIA — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to release all lawfully disclosable documents concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, rejecting the bureau’s argument that public disclosure would endanger lives.
The statement, issued on Saturday by Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, follows an application filed by the FBI in a Washington, D.C. court seeking permission to submit a private, under-seal (in-camera) declaration to justify withholding portions of its files.
Key Points from Atiku’s Statement
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Rejection of Security Excuse: Atiku described the FBI’s claim that revealing disclosures could present a “danger to lives” as ironic, asserting that ordinary Nigerians are already suffering under the current administration’s economic policies and petrol subsidy removal.
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Distinction on Protection vs. Transparency: The former vice president clarified that he is not asking the FBI to expose active undercover agents, confidential sources, or sensitive law enforcement tactics, but urged the bureau not to use statutory protections as a “bulletproof vest” to shield President Tinubu from public scrutiny.
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Right to Information: Framing the demand as a matter of democratic accountability, Atiku stated that citizens have a right to know the full history and background of the person occupying their country’s highest office.
“The FBI says disclosure could endanger lives. Which lives? Nigerians are already dying… Protect your agents. Protect your sources. Protect legitimate investigative methods. Redact whatever American law genuinely requires you to redact. But do not stretch those protections until they become a bulletproof vest for Tinubu.”
— Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar
