The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has urged the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to release, where legally permissible, records relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Atiku made the call in a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, insisting that Nigerians have a democratic right to information about the history and character of the person seeking to retain the country’s highest office.
The former vice president was reacting to the FBI’s reported position that releasing some records could pose a danger to lives. He argued that sensitive information could be protected without withholding records that could legitimately be disclosed in the public interest.
“The FBI says disclosure could endanger lives. Which lives? Nigerians are already dying. Danger to life is therefore not a legal abstraction to Nigerians. It is a daily reality in our homes, hospitals, farms, highways and communities,” he stated.
According to Atiku, policies under the Tinubu administration have increased the cost of transportation, food, healthcare and other necessities, making survival increasingly difficult for ordinary Nigerians.
He maintained that his demand was not an attempt to involve the United States in Nigeria’s electoral process but a call for democratic accountability.
“Our demand of American law enforcement is not a call to interfere in Nigeria’s politics. It is a humanitarian and democratic appeal rooted in the principle that people have a right to information legitimately available about those who exercise enormous power over their lives,” he added.
Atiku urged the FBI to release information relevant to the public interest where doing so would not compromise investigations, confidential sources or other protected law-enforcement interests.
The issue has attracted political attention as opposition parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections.