Abati, Rufai Argue On Whether Tinubu's Forfeiture Case Was Settled In 2023

 Abati, Rufai Argue On Whether Tinubu's Forfeiture Case Was Settled In 2023

 

Arise  News anchors Reuben Abati and Rufai Oseni have disagreed over whether the controversy surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s forfeiture of funds in the United States had been resolved by 2023.

The disagreement reportedly arose during a discussion on the Arise News programme, The Morning Show, as the two journalists examined renewed references to the long-running controversy surrounding Tinubu's past and the forfeiture of about $460,000 in the United States.

The issue dates back to a 1990s investigation in the US involving accounts linked to Tinubu and a group of individuals investigated in connection with narcotics trafficking. In 1993, US authorities obtained a court order allowing the forfeiture of funds held in several bank accounts associated with Tinubu and others.

The matter resurfaced prominently during the 2023 presidential election, with Tinubu's political opponents repeatedly raising questions about the forfeiture and its implications for his eligibility to contest the presidency.

Tinubu and his supporters have maintained that the forfeiture did not amount to a criminal conviction and that the money was forfeited in connection with a tax-related matter. Critics, however, have continued to argue that the circumstances surrounding the forfeiture warranted greater scrutiny.

During their latest exchange, Abati appeared to take the position that the issue had effectively been dealt with by the relevant legal and political processes before Tinubu assumed office in 2023.

Rufai, however, questioned that interpretation, suggesting that the controversy could not simply be regarded as closed merely because Tinubu had won the 2023 presidential election and subsequent legal challenges had been determined.

Tinubu's 2023 presidential election victory was challenged by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party. The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal dismissed the petitions, while the Supreme Court subsequently upheld Tinubu's election victory.

However, the legal battles around the election and separate controversies relating to Tinubu's background have continued to feature prominently in political discussions.