The Democratic Front (TDF) has criticised the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, for demanding explanations from President Bola Tinubu over a civil forfeiture incident in the United States dating back about three decades.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, the group urged the former Vice President to first address allegations surrounding the transfer of $40 million in several tranches into accounts linked to his former wife, Jennifer Douglas.
TDF described Atiku’s recent focus on the US forfeiture matter involving Tinubu as an attempt to shift the discourse ahead of the 2027 elections from policies and governance issues to personal attacks.
The group said Atiku’s earlier comments on fuel subsidy had created the impression that he intended to promote an issue-based campaign, but argued that his demand for explanations over an incident from 30 years ago suggested otherwise.
“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 ahead of the January 2027 elections,” TDF said.
The group also questioned the propriety of Atiku making personal integrity a central issue in the campaign, arguing that his own political history had been associated with unresolved corruption-related allegations.
TDF maintained that President Tinubu was not indicted or criminalised in connection with the US civil forfeiture proceeding, describing the case as a civil forfeiture in rem in which the money, rather than an individual, was the subject of the proceedings.
“It is instructive to note that there is no aspect of the proceedings that indicted or criminalized President Tinubu over the issue,” the group said, adding that the forfeited sum was reportedly traced to transfers from 10 different accounts whose direct ownership or operation by Tinubu, according to the group, was not established.
Turning its attention to Atiku, TDF said the former Vice President had a more pressing matter to explain to Nigerians, particularly allegations concerning the transfer of about $40 million into US bank accounts linked to Jennifer Douglas between 2000 and 2008.
The group alleged that the matter had attracted an investigation by a US Senate subcommittee and claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had acknowledged preventing an FBI investigation into Atiku over concerns about the implications for his administration and Nigeria’s image.
TDF said Nigerians were still entitled to explanations concerning the circumstances surrounding the alleged transfer of funds and called on the ADC presidential candidate to address the matter publicly.
“We therefore call on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to come clean on the circumstances surrounding the American Senate sub-committee investigation into the illegal transfer of funds into his wife’s account,” the group said.
It argued that the allegations surrounding the $40 million transfers could not be equated with the historical US civil forfeiture matter involving Tinubu, and concluded that Atiku should “come to equity with clean hands” before demanding explanations from the President.
