2027: APC chieftain reveals what he thinks opposition should be doing

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A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has accused opposition politicians of repeatedly bringing up allegations against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Oyintiloye made the allegation while speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Sunday.

He described reports that the United States had reopened a drug-trafficking case involving Tinubu as political propaganda.

The former lawmaker cautioned opposition politicians against circulating what he described as false claims, insisting that there was no evidence that any US court had reopened the matter or ordered a criminal retrial against the President.

Oyintiloye also pointed out that no American judge had found Tinubu guilty of drug trafficking, urging Nigerians to understand the distinction between allegations, investigations and convictions.

According to him, “the controversy currently generating public debate concerns a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking access to records held by United States law-enforcement agencies.”

He explained that the FOIA proceeding should not be interpreted as a criminal prosecution or judicial case against the President.

“An FOIA case is about access to government records. It is not a criminal trial, a retrial or a judicial declaration of guilt,” Oyintiloye said.

The APC chieftain maintained that the existence of records held by agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, and Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, does not automatically prove that a crime was committed.

He added that investigative documents could contain allegations that have not been proven, leads or information provided by third parties without amounting to evidence of guilt.

Oyintiloye further cited FOIA Exemption 7(C), which protects certain law-enforcement information where releasing it could result in an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

He consequently appealed to Nigerians and media organisations to avoid what he described as trial by document, stressing the importance of establishing the context and legal status of information contained in government records.

The former lawmaker said the controversy was part of what he described as a recurring pattern of allegations against Tinubu, particularly at crucial stages of his political career.

He noted that the President had been active in Nigerian politics for several decades and had faced various controversies, including questions surrounding his academic credentials during his two terms as Lagos State Governor between 1999 and 2007.

Oyintiloye said similar allegations resurfaced during the 2023 presidential campaign, accusing opposition politicians of repeatedly raising issues bordering on certificate forgery, criminality and drug trafficking instead of concentrating on governance.

He challenged opposition parties and their leaders to offer credible alternatives through policies and programmes capable of improving the lives of Nigerians.

“Privacy is not a crime. An investigation is not a conviction. A document is not automatically a fact simply because it bears the seal of a government agency,” he said.

Oyintiloye urged politicians to abandon personality attacks and campaigns of calumny, saying Nigerians should evaluate candidates and political parties based on their ideas, manifestos, records and performance.

“The opposition should tell us their manifesto, not blackmail. Tell Nigerians what you have on the table and why they should vote for you,” he said.

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