The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his legal bid to prevent the release of records held by United States law enforcement agencies concerning past investigations involving him.
Obi, who described the development as “profoundly embarrassing,” argued that a sitting president should have the courage to confront questions surrounding his past rather than seek to shield such records from public scrutiny.
In a statement issued on Monday while reflecting on the state of the country, the former governor of Anambra state said his loyalty to Nigeria remained unwavering, adding that he had never sought citizenship of another country despite opportunities to do so.
He said he was saddened by the direction Nigeria was taking, particularly the example being set by those occupying positions of authority.
“It is profoundly embarrassing that we have reached a point where a sitting President is asking a foreign court to withhold records concerning his past, particularly records relating to matters of legitimate public interest,” Obi said.
According to him, leadership requires “courage and humility” to confront one’s history, acknowledge mistakes, explain controversial issues and apologise where necessary.
Obi noted that questions concerning a leader’s educational background, particularly foundational schooling at the primary and secondary levels, should not remain unresolved or be addressed mainly through legal proceedings.
“Nigerians deserve clear, credible, and verifiable explanations, especially when such had been submitted in the past,” he said.
The former governor said the issue was particularly significant because of the example it could set for millions of young Nigerians in schools.
He maintained that the Presidency should represent integrity, accountability, transparency and ethical leadership, insisting that an imperfect past should not necessarily define an individual if the person is willing to confront it honestly.
Obi’s comments followed recent legal proceedings in the United States in which Tinubu asked a federal court to reject efforts by transparency activist Aaron Greenspan to obtain records relating to past investigations involving the Nigerian leader.
Greenspan had instituted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking records from the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Among the records sought are the FBI’s complete file on Tinubu, including Form 302 interview records relating to the period between 1992 and 1993.
The case also involves records allegedly connected to a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding in the U.S. concerning approximately $460,000 linked to Tinubu.
Tinubu’s legal team, comprising Christopher W. Carmichael, Victor P. Henderson and Oluwole O. Afolabi, filed a 16-page submission urging the court to protect their client’s privacy interests.
The lawyers argued that the existence of information previously disclosed in connection with the forfeiture proceedings did not amount to a public disclosure of the contents or outcome of any possible criminal investigation.
They further maintained that an individual’s privacy interest in government investigative files could remain intact even where portions of such information had previously entered the public domain.
Tinubu’s lawyers urged the court to reject Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment and uphold the FBI and DEA’s withholding of the requested materials under applicable U.S. privacy and transparency law.
Reacting to the broader implications, Obi asked Nigeria’s political class to recognise that political ambitions are temporary, while the country and the values established by its leaders endure.
“When will our political class fully appreciate that individual ambitions are temporary, while the nation endures?” he asked.
“The Presidency is an office held for a season; the moral standards established by those who occupy it can influence generations.
“Nigeria is greater than any one person, and the integrity of the Republic must always come before the interests of the individual,” he added.
