Atiku’s Camp Reacts as Presidency Says US FOIA Case Involving Tinubu, FBI Not Criminal Proceeding

• Peter Obi's aide Paul Ibe said the Presidency is dodging the real questions Nigerians are asking about the FOIA records
• The Presidency confirmed that 399 pages of FBI and DEA records exist, with portions redacted, and that Tinubu personally intervened in the case
• Ibe argued that FOIA exemptions are not judicial findings and called on the court to release whatever records it approves for public access

Peter Obi's spokesperson, Paul Ibe, has publicly challenged the Presidency's latest response to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking the release of FBI and DEA records relating to President Bola Tinubu, accusing the administration of deflecting from the core questions that Nigerians want answered.

In a statement shared via his official X account on Wednesday, September 3, Ibe said the Presidency's position amounted to answering questions that no one had raised while sidestepping the substance of the dispute.

What the presidency admitted

Ibe pointed out that the Presidency itself had confirmed two significant facts: that the FBI and DEA have produced 399 pages of records, portions of which are redacted, and that President Tinubu personally intervened in the litigation through his lawyers, invoking privacy protections to resist further disclosure.

He also noted that the Presidency continues to rely on a 2003 US Consulate letter stating that an FBI check at that time found no arrest records, wants, or warrants against Tinubu.

Ibe questioned the logic of treating a records check conducted over two decades ago as a permanent clearance, arguing that it could not logically cover every investigation or proceeding that may have existed before or after that date.

He added that the authenticity of the 2003 letter had itself been questioned.

Ibe pushed back against the Presidency's criticism of those behind the FOIA request, which include activist Aaron Greenspan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and Karl Von Batten.

He argued that the identity or political background of whoever filed the request had no bearing on what is inside an FBI or DEA file.

"The documents, not the messenger, are the issue," Ibe wrote.

He also clarified the legal distinction between FOIA exemptions and judicial findings, saying that a government's right to withhold certain information does not mean that the underlying allegations have been proven false.

He noted that the FBI has submitted material to the presiding judge for private review, and that the broader dispute over disclosure remains unresolved.

Ibe closed by calling on the Presidency to stop what he described as political distractions and to allow Nigerians access to whatever records the court determines can lawfully be made public.

"This is not about Atiku. It is not about Von Batten. It is not about Aaron Greenspan. It is about transparency, accountability and the right of Nigerians to know," he wrote.

Atiku camp challenges Tinubu’s 2027 prediction

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Atiku's spokesperson, Paul Ibe, dismissed a Political Intelligence Group projection that put President Tinubu ahead in the 2027 presidential race.

In a statement, Atiku's camp questioned the credibility and transparency of the forecast.