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ABUJA, Nigeria - Aso Villa has minimized the significance of the U.S. court ruling that mandates the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to release investigative files related to President Bola Tinubu, asserting that the documents in question are several decades old and yield no damaging findings.
Nevertheless, Tinubu had a meeting with a U.S. Department representative from President Donald Trump’s administration last Thursday in Paris, where they discussed forming a strategic economic and security partnership involving Nigeria, Africa, and the U.S.
The Presidency has distanced itself from the rising number of billboards in various cities promoting the 2027 campaign for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In response to the judgment issued last Tuesday by Judge Beryl Howell of the United States District Court in Washington D.C., Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, commented on X yesterday: “There is nothing new to disclose.
The reports by Agent Moss of the FBI and the DEA have been accessible to the public for over 30 years. These reports did not implicate the Nigerian leader.”
This response came amid increased public attention following the U.S. court's partial approval of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by American transparency advocate, Aaron Greenspan, which instructs the FBI and DEA to lift their long-held “Glomar” responses, which neither confirm nor deny the existence of records concerning Tinubu’s supposed connections to a heroin trafficking and money laundering investigation from the 1990s in Chicago.
In her ruling, Judge Howell noted that the acknowledgment of such investigative records was made earlier in a 1993 civil forfeiture case filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which identified Tinubu and resulted in the seizure of funds from his U.S. bank accounts. The judge determined that this official revelation invalidated the grounds for secrecy held by the FBI and DEA.
However, Onanuga maintained that the ruling did not alter Tinubu’s legal or political position. “The lawyers are reviewing the ruling,” he stated.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was permitted to keep its Glomar response, with the court agreeing that confirming or denying the presence of CIA records on Tinubu could jeopardize national security.
Onanuga announced in a statement on Sunday that the delegation, led by Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor on Africa in Trump’s administration, centered their discussions on mutual respect, prosperity, and regional stability.
According to the statement: “The U.S. State Department representative communicated President Trump’s strong desire to enhance direct engagement with Nigeria, viewing it as a fundamental aspect of U.S. relations with Africa.
“The U.S. sought collaboration with Tinubu to boost American investment in Nigeria and Africa, fortify energy and infrastructure development, and synchronize trade and job creation efforts. Both parties explored actionable support and exchanged views on regional peace, particularly concerning the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and throughout the Sahel.”
As stated by Onanuga, while Tinubu and Shettima cherish the enthusiasm and unwavering support from their numerous followers across the nation, they oppose any campaign that violates national laws.
“Until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announces the schedule for the 2027 elections, the President has not backed or authorized anyone or group to initiate a 2027 campaign for him through any media channel whether Out-of-Home, print, digital, radio, or television.
“Consequently, we urgently urge individuals and groups financing the 2027 political campaign through the current placement of materials on billboards nationwide to halt immediately.”
