A former member of the House of Representatives and United States-based Nigerian attorney, Kayode Oladele, has urged opposition leaders Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi to stop relying on legal avenues in the United States to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Oladele said the opposition should instead take its case directly to Nigerians by scrutinising the President’s policies, record in office and performance ahead of the 2027 general election.
He made the call in a statement on Friday amid renewed controversy over US court records relating to Tinubu and the interpretation of proceedings from the 1990s.
‘Face Tinubu In Nigeria’
According to Oladele, political opponents who believe Tinubu has failed Nigerians should make that argument before Nigerian voters rather than seeking what he described as “legal tourism” in the United States.
He argued that the ultimate contest for the Nigerian presidency would be decided by voters at home.
The former lawmaker said opposition politicians have several issues they can use to challenge the administration, including the economy, security, education, infrastructure and employment.
He therefore urged Atiku and Obi to focus their campaigns on those substantive issues.
Oladele Disputes Criminal Conviction Claims
Oladele also addressed claims surrounding Tinubu’s 1993 civil forfeiture proceedings in the United States.
He maintained that the proceedings should not be presented as evidence that Tinubu was criminally convicted in the country.
As a US-based attorney, Oladele said he had examined available federal court records and had not found a record showing that Tinubu was criminally tried or convicted in the United States.
He described attempts to portray a civil forfeiture proceeding as a criminal conviction as legally misplaced.
2027 Political Battle
The controversy comes as Nigeria’s major political blocs prepare for the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, and Peter Obi, who is now associated with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), are among the opposition figures seeking to challenge Tinubu.
The issue of Tinubu’s historical US records has become part of the political conversation as both ruling-party supporters and opposition figures trade accusations over the backgrounds of political leaders.
The Opposition’s Challenge
Oladele’s argument is that the strongest challenge to Tinubu should come through domestic political debate.
He said opposition parties should tell Nigerians what they would do differently if elected, rather than concentrating their campaigns on old legal controversies.
The former lawmaker’s intervention adds another voice to the debate over whether the 2027 election should primarily be fought on the administration’s record or on controversies surrounding the President’s past.
With the election approaching, economic performance, security, governance and the credibility of the major candidates are expected to remain central issues in the campaign.