Both Have Sufficient Baggages’ – Akande Dismisses Tinubu-Atiku Corruption War

A former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has said President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, both carry long-standing corruption allegations, arguing that neither side is likely to gain much political advantage by reviving the controversies ahead of the 2027 general election.

Naija News reports that Akande spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday while reacting to renewed political exchanges involving past allegations against the two leading political figures.

He said years of scrutiny surrounding both men had made it difficult for either camp to convincingly claim the moral high ground on 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.

The former presidential spokesman was reacting to efforts by supporters of Atiku to recirculate documents relating to Tinubu’s past legal controversies in the United States, including a decades-old forfeiture case connected to allegations involving narcotics proceeds.

Akande argued that the issue had already attracted extensive public debate and legal scrutiny, making it unlikely to substantially change voters’ perception unless new information emerged.

“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.

According to him, repeatedly returning to old allegations without producing fresh evidence may generate headlines but could struggle to reshape the political contest.
APC Could Revisit Allegations Against Atiku

Akande also said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could respond by revisiting allegations that had previously been associated with Atiku if the 2027 campaign became dominated by corruption accusations.

He, however, argued that the Halliburton bribery scandal would not necessarily provide the strongest political 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.

Akande instead pointed to the corruption case involving former United States Congressman William Jefferson, suggesting that it could feature prominently in future political exchanges.

“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 supporters of both the ruling APC and opposition figures seeking to shape public opinion on questions of leadership, accountability and governance.

He suggested that corruption allegations would likely remain part of the political conversation but maintained that controversies already familiar to the public might have limited electoral impact.

According to the former presidential aide, voters are more likely to place greater emphasis on candidates’ records, policy proposals and ability to respond to the country’s economic and security challenges.

He maintained that unless fresh evidence surfaced, repeatedly recycling old allegations involving either Tinubu or Atiku was unlikely to significantly alter the political landscape ahead of the next election.