The Democratic Front (TDF) has challenged former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to explain allegations surrounding the transfer of $40 million into accounts linked to his former wife before demanding explanations from President Bola Tinubu over a 30 year old civil forfeiture case in the United States.
TDF, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, accused Atiku of attempting to divert public attention from policy issues ahead of the 2027 elections by focusing on Tinubu’s past civil forfeiture case in the US.
The group said Atiku should instead address what it described as unresolved questions surrounding an alleged series of transfers of $40 million into accounts associated with his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, between 2000 and 2008.
“We are displeased by the former Vice President’s desperation to shift discussions in ongoing electioneering campaigns to personality rather than issues of policies and convictions,” the group said.
TDF said Atiku’s recent interventions on fuel subsidy had created the impression that he was committed to issue based discourse in the 2027 election campaign, but argued that his demand for explanations from Tinubu over the US case contradicted that position.
“The magnitude of energy and resources which the former Vice President is committing to the voyage of exhuming a civil forfeiture incident that was resolved three decades ago shows that Atiku Abubakar has nothing new to bring to the front burner to convince the electorate,” it said.
The group further argued that Atiku was not in a position to make personal integrity the central issue of his campaign while, according to it, questions remained unanswered about his own record.
On Tinubu’s US case, TDF maintained that the proceedings did not establish that the President was criminally indicted over the matter.
It said the forfeiture involved $460,000 and was a civil forfeiture proceeding in rem, meaning that the property, rather than an individual, was the subject of the proceeding.
“Why should Atiku Abubakar demand explanations on the matter from President Tinubu, who was, indeed, not the subject of trial?” the group asked.
TDF said the allegations concerning the $40 million transfers were more deserving of public scrutiny, urging Atiku to provide Nigerians with explanations about the circumstances surrounding the transactions.
The group also referred to claims that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had intervened in relation to an FBI investigation concerning Atiku, alleging that the matter had implications for the image of his administration and Nigeria.
TDF urged the ADC presidential candidate to address the issues raised by the alleged transfers and the reported US Senate investigation.
“Nigerians deserve the right to hear details of the suspicious transfer of funds from their country between 2000 and 2008, which attracted a sub committee probe from the American Senate,” the group said.
The group urged Atiku to “come to equity with clean hands” before demanding explanations from Tinubu over the US civil forfeiture incident.
