Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for opposing efforts to release records relating to investigations allegedly involving him in the United States.
Obi described the development as “profoundly embarrassing,” saying Tinubu should confront questions about his past and provide Nigerians with clear explanations instead of seeking to restrict access to records of public interest.
Obi made the remarks in a statement titled “A President and the Endless Question of His Past,” issued on Sunday, a day after Tinubu asked a US court to reject a motion seeking the release of additional records concerning him.
Tinubu, who joined the case as an intervenor, urged the US District Court for the District of Columbia to allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to maintain redactions and withholdings in records already released.
The President’s lawyers argued that privacy protections under US law cover the records and that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) does not provide grounds for obtaining information about private individuals.
The case followed FOIA requests by Aaron Greenspan, founder of PlainSite, for records concerning Tinubu, including FBI interview records from 1992 and 1993.
The requests relate to investigative records concerning a Chicago heroin ring that operated in the early 1990s. Tinubu was among four individuals named in the requests.
In April 2025, US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the FBI and DEA had acted improperly by refusing to confirm or deny whether they possessed records relating to Tinubu.
She ordered the agencies to search for and process non-exempt records responsive to Greenspan’s requests. Thousands of documents were subsequently released, although some portions were redacted. Greenspan later asked the court to order further disclosure.
Reacting to the development, Obi said it was “profoundly embarrassing” for a sitting Nigerian President to ask a foreign court to withhold records concerning his past, particularly when the issues involved matters of legitimate public interest.
“It is profoundly embarrassing that we have reached a point where a sitting President is asking a foreign court to withhold records concerning his past, particularly records relating to matters of legitimate public interest,” Obi said.
He said leadership requires the courage and humility to confront one’s history, acknowledge mistakes and provide candid explanations whenever legitimate questions arise.
According to him, true authority is strengthened when leaders accept responsibility rather than shield uncomfortable aspects of their past from legitimate scrutiny.
Obi also argued that national interest should take precedence over personal ambition, particularly when questions concern educational credentials and other information previously submitted by public officials.
“Issues surrounding foundational schooling — primary and secondary — should not remain unresolved or be addressed primarily through legal proceedings,” he said.
The ADC candidate said Nigerians deserved “clear, credible, and verifiable explanations,” especially where information had previously been submitted or presented in official records.
Obi said his major concern was the example the controversy could set for more than 200 million Nigerians, particularly young people.
“The nation’s highest office should exemplify integrity, accountability, transparency, and ethical leadership,” he said.
He further questioned when Nigeria’s political class would recognise that individual political ambitions are temporary, while the national interest and integrity of the country endure.
According to Obi, Nigeria is greater than any individual, and the integrity of the republic must always take precedence over personal interests.
“The Presidency is an office held for a season; the moral standards established by those who occupy it can influence generations,” he added.
