The Nigerian Presidency has pushed back against recent criticisms surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following a U.S. court directive for the FBI and DEA to release documents relating to past drug investigations.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels TV program aired on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, downplayed the significance of the order.
He said the documents in question have already been publicly available and accused the opposition of attempting to “feast” on stale information to mislead Nigerians.
The court ruling, made by Judge Beryl Howell on April 8 and published on the U.S. court’s official website, mandates the FBI and DEA to locate and process any non-exempt documents linked to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed by American legal transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan.
Greenspan, founder of PlainSite, had made 12 FOIA requests between 2022 and 2023. These requests focus on an early-1990s drug trafficking ring in Chicago and sought documents relating to President Tinubu and three others: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.
According to Bwala, however, the request doesn’t pose any threat to the president’s image or credibility. “The court clearly stated that since some records have already been released, if there are any others believed to be exempt, parties should return on May 2 to clarify,” he explained.
He further stated that there is nothing new in the court order, emphasizing that it was a recycled issue being sensationalized by the media and opposition.
“This ruling doesn’t bring anything new to light. It’s just being amplified to create unnecessary tension and distract the public,” Bwala said.
The presidency insists that the opposition is capitalizing on the issue because it lacks better strategies to gain public support. “They know there’s nothing in it, but they’re banking on public confusion,” he concluded.
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