ABUJA — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the Presidency’s attempt to invoke China in its political attacks against him as a “monumental own goal,” warning that applying Beijing’s strict legal standards would severely backfire on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a fiery response issued on Saturday, July 25, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku stated that the Presidency’s spokesperson unwittingly invited public scrutiny into President Tinubu’s past legal troubles in the United States by citing Chinese legal standards.
The statement follows a heated media war between the State House and the opposition over Atiku’s hiring of U.S. lobbyists to present files on President Tinubu’s 1993 Chicago civil forfeiture case to American lawmakers.
Key Points from Atiku’s Response
Phrank Shaibu argued that comparing public accountability standards with China opens up sensitive questions regarding capital punishment and anti-corruption enforcement:
- Maximum Penalty Under Chinese Law: “Perhaps the spokesman did not realise that the maximum penalty under Chinese law for the most serious drug trafficking offences is death. Having chosen China as his benchmark, he unwittingly invited Nigerians to examine the very standard he thought would embarrass Atiku Abubakar,” the statement read.
- Clean Criminal Record Claim: Shaibu reiterated that Atiku Abubakar has never been indicted or convicted by any court in Nigeria or internationally for drug trafficking, corruption, or criminal offences.
- Questions Over Civil Forfeiture: The statement asked what Chinese authorities would do if presented with a case involving the $460,000 forfeited to the U.S. government in 1993 regarding funds linked to narcotics trafficking allegations.
- Critique of Domestic Governance: Atiku’s camp criticized the administration’s policy track record, pointing to national budget padding controversies, economic hardship under the Renewed Hope agenda, and alleged administrative scandals as practices that would face severe punishment under China’s strict anti-corruption laws.
Escalating Rhetoric Between State House and Opposition
The statement comes less than 48 hours after Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued a scathing press release questioning when Atiku would “report himself to President Trump,” while citing Atiku’s mention in the 2010 U.S. Senate investigation on foreign corruption.
STATE HOUSE CLAIM: Atiku is undermining national sovereignty by lobbying US officials
over a 30-year-old settled civil forfeiture case.
ATIKU'S REBUTTAL: Invoking Chinese legal standards backfires on the Presidency due to
China's capital punishment laws for drug-related crimes.
Atiku’s media team concluded by advising President Tinubu to restrain his media aides from making foreign comparisons that highlight sensitive legal precedents, maintaining that opposition scrutiny remains a legitimate pillar of democratic accountability.
