Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has described President Bola Tinubu’s pushback against the release of his criminal record by U.S. authorities as “profoundly embarrassing” to Nigeria.
Mr Obi, in a statement on Monday, said he is deeply saddened by the direction in which the country is heading.
He said, “It is profoundly embarrassing that we have reached a point where a sitting president (Mr Tinubu) is asking a foreign court to withhold records concerning his past, particularly records relating to matters of legitimate public interest.
“Leadership, in my humble view, demands the courage and humility to confront one’s history — to acknowledge mistakes, provide candid explanations where questions arise, and, where necessary, apologise and seek forgiveness. True authority is strengthened, not diminished, when a leader accepts responsibility rather than seeks to shield uncomfortable aspects of the past from legitimate scrutiny.”
Mr Obi also challenged the president to explain his controversial educational record, expressing concern about the precedent Mr Tinubu is setting for the entire country.
“This becomes particularly important when questions concern educational credentials. Issues surrounding foundational schooling — primary and secondary — should not remain unresolved or be addressed primarily through legal proceedings. Nigerians deserve clear, credible, and verifiable explanations, especially when such had been submitted in the past,” Mr Obi said.
“My deepest concern is the example this sets for more than 200 million Nigerians, particularly the over 30 million young people in schools. The nation’s highest office should exemplify integrity, accountability, transparency, and ethical leadership,” he added.
According to the NDC presidential candidate, an imperfect past is part of the human condition, adding that what matters is the willingness to confront it with humility, honesty, and deep apology; to make amends where necessary; and, when circumstances demand, to put the nation’s interests above personal ambition.
“When will our political class fully appreciate that individual ambitions are temporary, while the nation endures? The Presidency is an office held for a season; the moral standards established by those who occupy it can influence generations. Nigeria is greater than any one person, and the integrity of the Republic must always come before the interests of the individual,” Mr Obi added.
Mr Obi’s outburst comes amid recurring debate over calls for the release of Mr Tinubu’s criminal record in the U.S., while Mr Tinubu’s legal team has mounted fierce legal pushback.
Over the weekend, the Peoples Gazette reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) hand-delivered records of Mr Tinubu’s 1993 drug-trafficking and money-laundering case to Judge Howell Beryl of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, saying they are for her eyes only.
The FBI secretly submitted the records on Friday to avoid disobeying a court order while sidelining transparency campaigner Aaron Greenspan, who petitioned the FBI for the Nigerian leader’s records in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
The records were submitted as “under seal, ex parte, in camera declarations were hand delivered to the court on August 28, 2026 in compliance with this Court’s Minute Order dated August 20, 2026,” filings showed.
Also, the FBI said its informants and agents could face “violent retaliation” if it releases files on Mr Tinubu’s alleged drug trafficking and immigration records, as well as his links to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).