- Disowns 2027 campaign billboards nationwide
Festus Okoromadu
The Presidency has said that there is nothing new in the records the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration have been ordered to release concerning President Bola Tinubu.
This followed a ruling by a Washington DC judge directing the two agencies to release non-exempt files linked to past investigations involving Tinubu.
Responding to media inquiries on Sunday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the reports in question have been in public for over 30 years and did not indict the Nigerian leader.
“Journalists have sought the Presidency’s reaction to the ruling last Tuesday by a Washington DC judge ordering the US FBI and DEA to release reports connected with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Onanuga wrote in a social media post on Sunday
He added, “Our response is as follows. There is nothing new to be revealed.
“The report by Agent Moss of the FBI and the DEA report have been in the public space for more than 30 years.
“The reports did not indict the Nigerian leader.”
He added that the Presidency’s lawyers are currently examining the ruling.
This follows a ruling last Tuesday by Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, directing the FBI and DEA to release non-exempt documents related to a drug trafficking investigation.
The order came after Aaron Greenspan, an American and founder of legal transparency platform PlainSite, filed a lawsuit challenging the agencies’ refusal to confirm or deny the existence of such records.
Presidency disowns 2027 campaign billboards nationwide.
The Presidency has also observed with dismay, the increasing number of billboards in some cities promoting the 2027 campaign for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Worth noting is that some of these billboards with pictures of the President and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, emblazoned on them are springing up in Abuja and Kano in particular.
Onanuga also said on Sunday that while President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima greatly appreciate their teeming and loyal supporters across the country for their enthusiasm and continuing support, the two leaders do not support any campaign that breaches the laws of the land.
He said that the electoral law that guides the conduct of elections and political campaigns forbids any form of campaign for the 2027 general elections.
“Premature campaigning can undermine the integrity of the electoral process and create unfair advantages. As law-abiding leaders, President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima do not support any action that undermines our institutions and the electoral process.
“Until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) sets the timetable for the 2027 elections, the President has not endorsed or authorised anyone or any group to mount a 2027 campaign for him through any media channel—be it Out-of-Home, print, digital, radio, or television.
“Therefore, we urgently call on individuals and groups funding this 2027 political campaign through the ongoing deployment of materials on billboards nationwide to cease immediately.
“President Tinubu and his deputy are fully committed to delivering the ongoing task of nation-building they have set for themselves. This commitment is evident in their focus on economic revitalisation, human capital development, infrastructural renewal, social investment, and national security.
“When INEC signals that the processes for the 2027 elections can start, President Tinubu will duly inform Nigerians of his plans,” Onanuga said.