Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Presidency over its defence of President Bola Tinubu, saying its comparison with China’s legal system has drawn fresh attention to issues surrounding the President’s past.
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, made his position known on Saturday through a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
The latest exchange followed an earlier response from the Presidency to reports that Atiku’s lobbying team in the United States submitted petitions to President Donald Trump and the U.S. State Department concerning Tinubu’s 1993 civil forfeiture case and other related matters.
In defending the President, the Presidency argued that even under China’s legal system, the allegations against Tinubu would not have resulted in criminal prosecution.
Reacting to the argument, Atiku said the comparison had produced the opposite effect by drawing attention to China’s strict laws on drug-related offences and public accountability. He maintained that using China as a reference only encouraged Nigerians to examine how such matters are treated under that country’s legal system.
Atiku also said the Presidency focused on attacking his personality instead of addressing the issues he raised. He argued that the government failed to provide clear answers to questions surrounding the controversy and relied on personal attacks rather than facts.
The former vice president maintained that he has never been convicted or found guilty of corruption, drug-related offences or any criminal offence either in Nigeria or abroad. He described this as a matter of public record and insisted that no court has ever indicted him on such allegations.
He further argued that if the government wanted to use China as a standard for accountability, Nigerians were equally entitled to ask how Chinese authorities would have handled a case involving the forfeiture of $460,000 to the United States government in connection with allegations of narcotics trafficking and money laundering. According to him, China is known for taking a tough approach to such cases and usually carries out extensive investigations.
Atiku also criticised the Tinubu administration over governance and accountability. He argued that allegations involving budget irregularities, abuse of office and the creation of a fake government agency would have attracted immediate attention under China’s legal system.
On the Presidency’s reliance on a response from the United States government regarding diplomatic correspondence, Atiku said such communication should not be presented as proof that Tinubu had been cleared of wrongdoing. He maintained that diplomatic exchanges between countries do not amount to court judgments or legal decisions.
The ADC presidential candidate urged the Federal Government to focus on tackling Nigeria’s economic hardship, insecurity, hunger and other pressing national problems instead of engaging in prolonged political exchanges.
The disagreement follows comments made by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who accused Atiku of corruption during his time in government and argued that he would have faced imprisonment if he were subject to China’s legal system.
Onanuga also criticised Atiku’s role in Nigeria’s privatisation programme while serving as vice president, claiming that national assets were sold below value and that the consequences are still being addressed by the current administration.
The exchange marks another chapter in the ongoing political dispute between the Presidency and the opposition as both sides continue to trade accusations over governance, accountability and past legal controversies ahead of the 2027 general election.