ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to release his personal records for public scrutiny, accusing the president's supporters of reviving decades-old allegations against him because they can no longer defend the country's economic hardship.
In a statement issued Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the resurfacing of old claims from the Obasanjo era was not a sign of strength but an admission that the government has run out of answers on hunger, purchasing power and insecurity. He pointed to Tinubu's legal effort in a United States court to block the release of FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration records linked to him, arguing that someone seeking privacy for his own records should not demand transparency from others.
"At some point, desperation announces itself," Shaibu said, adding that repeated allegations without a court conviction do not amount to guilt. Atiku maintained that no court has ever convicted him on the corruption claims levelled against him and challenged anyone with fresh evidence to present it through proper legal channels rather than repeating old accusations.
The exchange is part of an escalating war of words between the Tinubu and Atiku camps as both sides position for the 2027 general election. Neither the presidency nor Tinubu's allies had responded to Friday's statement as of publication.
