Former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has said President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar both face long-standing corruption allegations that are unlikely to give either side a decisive advantage as political campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election gather momentum.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Akande argued that attempts by supporters of either politician to weaponise past corruption allegations would have limited political impact because both men have been subjected to years of public scrutiny.
According to him, neither camp can convincingly claim the moral high ground on issues relating to corruption.
“When you put Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku up against each other on the questions around corruption, I don’t think it’s going to be helpful to either of them because both of them have sufficient baggages,” Akande said.
He was reacting to renewed efforts by supporters of the former vice president to circulate documents relating to Tinubu’s past legal controversies in the United States, including issues surrounding a decades-old drug-related forfeiture case.
Akande dismissed the move as unlikely to alter public perception, noting that the issues have been extensively debated and litigated over the years.
“So, this attempt by the Atiku camp to try to circulate copies around the Congress about the drug case involving Tinubu is of no moment. Yes, it’s going to cause a lot of controversy here at home but those controversies don’t run deep. The matter has been litigated, re-litigated and interrogated. Can they find something new to talk about?” he asked.
The former presidential spokesman also suggested that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could equally revisit past allegations involving Atiku if the political contest degenerates into an exchange of corruption claims.
Referring to the Halliburton bribery scandal, Akande argued that the case did not present the strongest line of attack against the former vice president.
“In the Halliburton case, the strongest case was even against President Obasanjo. So, I don’t think that is the worst case they can bring out against Atiku,” he said.
Instead, Akande pointed to the corruption investigation involving former United States Congressman William Jefferson, who was convicted on corruption charges after FBI agents discovered $90,000 in cash wrapped in foil inside a freezer at his home.
According to Akande, allegations linking Jefferson to Atiku are likely to feature more prominently if political attacks intensify ahead of the 2027 election.
“It’s the William Jefferson Congressman case who gave Atiku $100,000 that was found in his fridge. And the man said it was Atiku that gave him the money,” he said.
Akande’s comments come amid increasing political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with both the ruling APC and opposition figures intensifying efforts to shape public narratives around governance, accountability and leadership.
He suggested that while corruption allegations may continue to dominate political discourse, Nigerian voters are more likely to judge candidates on their records in office, policy direction and their ability to address the country’s economic and security challenges than on controversies that have circulated in the public domain for years.
Akande maintained that unless fresh evidence emerges, revisiting old allegations against either Tinubu or Atiku is unlikely to significantly influence the political landscape ahead of the next general election.
