LAGOS, Nigeria — The All Progressives Congress (APC) don dismiss critics wey dey expect wahala from the release of FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) files on President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, calling dem ‘clowns.’ Dis matter come after U.S. court order wey order the FBI and DEA to drop files about Tinubu before May 2.
The court, as per The PUNCH report wey come out on April 12, talk say di records wey involve drug trafficking investigation for Chicago in di early 1990s don dey public for over 30 years and no be new threat to di President’s standing. Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., give di agencies order to search and process non-exempt documents for di Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests wey American legal researcher Aaron Greenspan file.
Di FOIA request get to do with narcotics ring wey dem dey suspect Tinubu involve with and three other people: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Akande, and Abiodun Agbele. Dis order wey dey cause buzz don make di Presidency insist sey dere go be no surprises as di files dey come out.
Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, confirm say government lawyers dey review di U.S. court order but emphasize say di documents likely no go show anything new. As for Greenspan, e don submit 12 FOIA requests between 2022 and 2023 to gather information about di 1990s drug case.
Before now, di FBI and DEA don dey respond to inquiries with “Glomar responses,” wey mean dem no confirm or deny di existence of di records. But di court don order say dis response no follow, and dem must release any relevant documents wey no dey exempt.
As everybody dey wait for di release on Friday, tension don dey rise on social media, as Nigerians dey speculate about wetin fit happen. Key opposition figures don also chip in with dia own thoughts. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, through im media aide Paul Ibe, talk say Nigerians dey eager to see wetin di report go contain. “We go wait and see. Nigerians don dey anxious since di matter come up first in 1999 by di late Chief Gani Fawehinmi,” Ibe talk.
Di New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) also react, with dia National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, wey urge Nigerians to calm down. “There’s a Yoruba proverb wey say a groom wey dey expect him bride no need to stretch im neck. We go read di report before we make any judgement,” he said, adding dat many people fit end up disappointed.
On di other hand, Timothy Osadolor, Deputy National Youth Leader of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), express warn say di release fit expose di true nature of di President. “There’s anxiety because of di President’s efforts to keep di FBI files secret. I pray for him say di report no go be damning,” Osadolor stated, though he noted say di report fit serve as wake-up call for future leaders to be transparent.
As di APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, dismiss di opposition’s reactions as melodrama. He describe critics as “comedians,” emphasizing say Nigerian laws, not foreign files, go determine who fit be President. “If dem want di presidency, make dem prepare for 2027,” he conclude.
