Stop Recycling Allegations Against Tinubu- Ex-lawmaker Tells Opposition
Opposition leaders in the country have been told to stop recycling old allegations against President Bola Tinubu with the aim that engaging in such act will distract him.
This was disclosed by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, who described claims that the United States has reopened a drug-trafficking case against Tinubu as ‘Political propaganda aimed at distracting Nigerians.’
Oyintiloye stated this in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Sunday, warning opposition leaders against spreading what he described as ‘falsehood’.
The former Osun State lawmaker also stated that no court in the United States of America had reopened or ordered a criminal retrial against Tinubu, adding that no American judge had pronounced the President guilty of drug trafficking.
He accused the opposition leaders of using propaganda to mislead Nigerians and gain sympathy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the “Matter generating controversy was a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking access to records held by U.S. law-enforcement agencies, rather than a criminal prosecution or retrial. An FOIA case is about access to government records. It is not a criminal trial, a retrial or a judicial declaration of guilt.”
He also said the existence of Federal Bureau of Investigation or Drug Enforcement Administration records should not automatically be interpreted as proof of criminality.
He further said investigative files could contain unproven allegations, leads or information supplied by third parties. He subsequently urged Nigerians and the media to avoid what he described as ‘trial by document.’
“The controversy is part of a recurring pattern of allegations against Tinubu, particularly at every critical point in his political career. Tinubu has spent decades in Nigeria’s political space and has faced several controversies during the period.
“Allegations concerning Tinubu’s academic credentials generated extensive public and media debate during his two-term tenure as Lagos State Governor between 1999 and 2007. The same allegations resurfaced during the 2023 presidential campaign,” he said.
He alleged opposition elements of “Recycling allegations bordering on certificate forgery, criminality and drug trafficking instead of engaging Nigerians on substantive issues of governance.”
He challenged the opposition, stating, “To offer credible alternatives through clear policies and programmes capable of improving the lives of Nigerians.”
The APC chieftain said Nigeria’s democracy should move beyond personality attacks and campaigns of calumny, stating that politicians should be judged on their ideas, manifestoes, records and performance.
He also urged Nigerians to scrutinise political claims and distinguish between allegations, investigations, charges and convictions.
“Privacy is not a crime. An investigation is not a conviction. A document is not automatically a fact simply because it bears the seal of a government agency.
“The opposition should tell us their manifesto, not blackmail. Tell Nigerians what you have on the table and why they should vote for you,” he said.
