Address Allegations Surrounding transfer of $40 million Linked to Ms Jennifer Douglas- TDF Tells Atiku
Oru Leonard
The Democratic Front (TDF), has criticised the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, over his demand that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu explain a civil forfeiture incident in the United States dating back about three decades.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, the group urged the former Vice President to focus instead on addressing allegations surrounding the transfer of $40 million in several tranches into accounts linked to his former wife, Ms Jennifer Douglas.
TDF accused Atiku of attempting to shift the focus of the 2027 election campaign from policies and governance to personalities.
The group said Atiku’s recent comments on fuel subsidy had created the impression that he was interested in an issue-based campaign, but argued that his demand for explanations over an old US civil forfeiture matter suggested otherwise.
According to TDF, the attention Atiku was devoting to the issue demonstrated a lack of new policy ideas with which to convince Nigerians ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group also questioned what it described as Atiku’s attempt to make personal integrity a major campaign issue, despite what it called unresolved corruption-related allegations associated with his past.
TDF argued that the US civil forfeiture matter involving $460,000 did not amount to a criminal indictment of President Tinubu.
“It is instructive to note that there is no aspect of the proceedings that indicted or criminalized President Tinubu over the issue,” the group said, adding that the case was a civil forfeiture proceeding in rem, meaning that the money, rather than the person, was the subject of the proceeding.
The group therefore questioned why Atiku would demand explanations from Tinubu over an incident in which, according to TDF, the President was not the subject of the trial.
TDF said Atiku should instead explain the circumstances surrounding the alleged transfer of $40 million into accounts linked to Jennifer Douglas between 2000 and 2008.
“It is a matter of public record that former President Olusegun Obasanjo admitted that he prevented the attempt by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate Atiku on the matter because of its implications for the image of his administration and Nigeria,” the statement said.
The group maintained that Nigerians were yet to receive satisfactory explanations concerning the alleged movement of the funds and the subsequent investigation by a US Senate subcommittee.
“We therefore call on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to come clean on the circumstances surrounding the American Senate subcommittee investigation into the illegal transfer of funds into his wife’s account,” TDF said.
It added that Nigerians deserved to know the details surrounding the alleged transfer of funds from Nigeria between 2000 and 2008.
TDF concluded by urging the ADC presidential candidate to “come to equity with clean hands” before demanding explanations from President Tinubu over the US civil forfeiture incident.
