Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has challenged the Presidency to release the full version of the letter reportedly sent by U.S. President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu, arguing that Nigerians deserve to see the original document.
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has called on the Presidency to publish the full text and original copy of the letter reportedly sent by United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying Nigerians should not be misled over what he described as routine diplomatic correspondence.
Frank made the demand in a statement issued on Wednesday, reacting to the Federal Government’s presentation of the letter as evidence of growing international recognition for Tinubu’s administration.
Frank Questions Presidency’s Presentation
According to Frank, the Presidency should release the complete document, including any official White House markings, if it intends to rely on the correspondence as proof of international endorsement.
He argued that a genuine presidential letter from the United States would ordinarily bear the White House seal and the signature of the U.S. President.
“If it doesn’t have the White House seal and the signature of the President of the United States, it appears dubious at best,” Frank said.
Says Letter Is Not Political Endorsement
Frank further contended that, even if the correspondence is authentic, it should not be interpreted as an endorsement of Tinubu’s administration or his political future.
According to him, the contents, as described by the Presidency, amount to routine diplomatic communication acknowledging security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States rather than an expression of support for the President or his government.
He accused the Presidency of attempting to present the letter as something more significant than a standard diplomatic exchange.
Presidency Maintains Letter Is Genuine
The Presidency has consistently maintained that the letter is authentic.
In the version released by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Trump commended Tinubu’s leadership in tackling terrorism and violence affecting Christian communities while reaffirming U.S. support for closer security cooperation with Nigeria.
Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala has also described the letter as evidence that Nigeria’s security efforts are receiving international recognition.
No Official White House Rebuttal
As of the time of reporting, the White House has not issued any statement disputing the authenticity of the letter released by the Nigerian Presidency.
Similarly, no U.S. government agency has publicly confirmed the concerns raised by Frank regarding the document’s presentation.
The issue therefore remains part of an ongoing political debate between the Presidency and its critics.