Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE Nigerian Presidency has moved to quash speculation surrounding President Bola Tinubu‘s legal proceedings in the United States, clarifying that the case is a civil dispute rather than a criminal matter.
In a statement released on Thursday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, addressed what he described as misleading reports suggesting the President is facing criminal charges in Washington, DC.
“For clarity, the matter is a civil records-disclosure dispute under the United States Freedom of Information Act. It is not a criminal case against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nor has the court found him guilty of any criminal wrongdoing,” Onanuga stated.
Background of the Proceedings
The case, identified as Civil Action No. 23-1816, was initiated by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who filed FOIA requests in 2022 seeking documents from multiple US government agencies.
President Tinubu was subsequently permitted by the court to participate as an intervenor, allowing him to protect his privacy interests in the records being sought.
According to the Presidency, several agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, and the Internal Revenue Service have been removed from the case after securing summary judgment based on the “Glomar defence” – which permits US agencies to neither confirm nor deny the existence of particular records.
Agencies Still Involved
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration remain parties to the suit and have produced 399 pages of records, with portions redacted under various legal exemptions.
Onanuga explained that redactions were implemented based on multiple legal protections, including:
· Grand jury secrecy provisions
· Attorney-client privilege
· Law enforcement considerations
· Personal privacy protections
· Confidential source protection
· Investigative technique confidentiality
The President has also invoked his privacy rights under FOIA exemptions within the proceedings.
Timeline Ahead
Greenspan has until September 11 to respond to filings made by the defendants and the intervenor, while the FBI, DEA and President Tinubu have until September 18 to file further responses.
The Presidency emphasised that the proceedings have not resulted in any finding of criminal wrongdoing against the Nigerian leader.
