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Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is avoiding the United States because of renewed attention to historical drug-related allegations and legal records involving him.
Okonkwo made the allegation while reacting to Tinubu’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is representing Nigeria at the General Assembly, marking the third consecutive year Tinubu has delegated the responsibility to his deputy.
Tinubu attended the 78th UNGA in 2023 but was represented by Shettima in 2024 and 2025.
Speaking on Arise News, Okonkwo questioned the reason for Tinubu’s absence and alleged that the President was deliberately staying away from the US.
“A reasonable man should say that he’s hiding from the United States of America,” Okonkwo said.
He also alleged that Tinubu’s decision not to attend the UNGA was connected to fears of possible arrest in the US.
“Tinubu is hiding. He is running away from being arrested by Trump,” Okonkwo alleged.
According to him, the President’s absence was particularly notable because there had earlier been indications that Tinubu would attend the UNGA.
Okonkwo also referred to comments previously attributed to Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, who had reportedly indicated that Tinubu would attend the gathering and sit in the front row with US President Donald Trump.
He questioned why Tinubu did not eventually travel to New York.
“Tinubu has not been at the United Nations for three consecutive years,” Okonkwo said, arguing that the pattern required an explanation.
The Atiku campaign spokesperson further linked the President’s absence to the renewed controversy over US records concerning Tinubu’s past.
“There is a paper filed by Tinubu seeking non-release of US records regarding alleged drug dealing,” he claimed.
Okonkwo also referred to the approximately $460,000 involved in a 1993 US civil forfeiture proceeding, arguing that the issue remained relevant to questions surrounding Tinubu’s absence from the United States.
The historical matter involved the forfeiture of about $460,000 to the US government.
The current litigation, however, concerns access to US government records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Presidency has stressed that it is a civil records-disclosure dispute and not a criminal case against Tinubu.
“For clarity, the matter is a civil records-disclosure dispute under the United States Freedom of Information Act.
“It is not a criminal case against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nor has the court found him guilty of any criminal wrongdoing,” Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said in September.
Okonkwo, however, maintained that the historical US matter should be considered when assessing Tinubu’s repeated absence from the UNGA.
He said the President’s failure to attend the gathering despite its significance raised questions about whether the US controversy was a factor.
The allegation comes amid wider political debate over Tinubu’s third consecutive absence from the UNGA.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also asked the Presidency to explain the President’s repeated absence, although Atiku said he was not claiming that Tinubu was legally prohibited from entering the United States.
The Presidency has rejected suggestions that Tinubu’s absence is linked to any US travel restriction.
It said Tinubu is currently on a working vacation and has continued to direct government affairs while Vice President Shettima represents Nigeria at the UNGA.
The State House said Tinubu’s decision to extend his working vacation was based on domestic priorities and maintained that there was no restriction preventing him from travelling to the United States.
