The Presidential Campaign Council of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to produce any judgment convicting its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of corruption. This response comes after APC spokesman, Felix Morka, alleged that Atiku was unfit for the presidency due to his past record. The ADC council described Morka's comments as a "grubby attempt to conduct a trial by insult".
Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of ADC Campaign Council, countered Morka's statement, saying it was an attempt to manufacture a conviction against Atiku. Shaibu emphasized that Morka's insults could not answer Nigerians' questions about the increasing difficulty of affording basic necessities like food, fuel, transport, and electricity. He urged Morka to produce a judgment against Atiku if he had one.
The ADC council also criticized Morka for warning that Atiku must be kept away from the national treasury, describing it as a remarkable sermon from a party whose president's accounts were the subject of a United States forfeiture case arising from narcotics trafficking allegations. Shaibu referenced a US federal court affidavit that implicated Bola Tinubu, President of Nigeria, in a narcotics trafficking case.
According to the affidavit, Tinubu opened an account at First Heritage Bank after being introduced by Adegboyega Mueez Akande, and shortly after, $80,000 arrived through a transfer linked to Akande. Tinubu subsequently purchased a $5,000 cashier's cheque payable to Akande's wife, Audrey. Shaibu questioned the transactions and why the same names kept appearing around Tinubu's finances.
The affidavit also implicated Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the President, in the banking records, stating that she held a joint checking account with her husband and had previously held another joint account at the same bank with Audrey Akande. The ADC council said the President should support the fullest lawful disclosure of the relevant records and explain what they contain.
A US federal court ruled in 2025 that the Department of Justice had officially acknowledged Tinubu as a subject of a criminal investigation involving the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The ADC council said Nigerians deserve to know what the records say, what role Tinubu played in the events they describe, and why disclosure has been resisted.
The council also referenced the Mambilla arbitration and a 2010 United States Senate report, saying Morka had confused a question raised by a tribunal with a finding it never made. The council urged Morka to respect the record when Atiku's name is involved and not write a corruption verdict that a tribunal or court never delivered.
Key points
- The ADC campaign council challenges APC to produce judgment convicting Atiku Abubakar.
- APC spokesman, Felix Morka, alleged that Atiku was unfit for presidency due to his past record.
- US federal court affidavit implicated Bola Tinubu in a narcotics trafficking case.
