Opposition figures question President Tinubu’s handling of disputed US records as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, and National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, have criticised President Bola Tinubu over the ongoing controversy surrounding efforts to access records held by United States authorities concerning his past.
The opposition figures raised the issue separately on Monday, August 31, 2026, with Baba-Ahmed speaking at an opposition political summit in Abuja and Obi issuing a separate statement titled A President and the Endless Question of His Past.
Obi criticised President Tinubu’s legal efforts to prevent the release of some records held by US authorities, describing the situation as embarrassing and arguing that a president should be prepared to answer questions about his past when they are of public interest.
The controversy centres on records held by US agencies, including the FBI, Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration, relating to an investigation dating back to the early 1990s and a 1993 civil forfeiture case involving about $460,000 linked to President Tinubu.
The records are being sought through a US Freedom of Information Act case. American authorities have opposed the release of some documents, citing legal exemptions designed to protect law-enforcement methods, confidential sources and other sensitive information.
President Tinubu’s legal team has also challenged the release of some of the records, arguing that they should remain protected under US law.
The dispute is an access-to-records case and does not constitute a criminal prosecution against Tinubu. He has not been convicted of drug trafficking or money laundering in the United States.
Meanwhile, Baba-Ahmed questioned President Tinubu’s absence from Nigeria and raised concerns over the simultaneous absence of the President and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
He also alleged that President Tinubu’s overseas trip was connected to the controversy over the possible release of the FBI records. The claim has not been independently established.
The separate comments by Obi and Baba-Ahmed have brought renewed political attention to President Tinubu’s past in the United States as opposition parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections.