Essential Ndubuisi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained why its candidate and President-elect, Bola Tinubu, forfeited the sum of $460,000 to the United States government in 1993. In a process filed to defend the outcome of the presidential election held on February 25, the APC stated that the funds were held in ten bank accounts opened in either Tinubu’s name or in the name of Compass Finance and Investment Co., and were subject to a “civil forfeiture proceeding” in Case No: 93C4483. The party maintained that the decision of the US District Court was not a fine but a decree of forfeiture of the amount of $460,000 to the United States following the settlement of claims by the parties involved in the case.
APC further disclosed that the compromise terms that led to the forfeiture were preceded by an express admission on record that Tinubu did not admit the commission of any drug, drug-related or illicit conduct of dishonesty or fraud. The party insisted that the decision was not against Tinubu but against the funds in the various accounts opened in his name with First Heritage Bank and City Bank N.A.
The APC listed the ten account numbers that contained the funds Tinubu forfeited after the settlement of claims by parties involved in the case. These were: 263226700, 39483134, 39483396, 4650279566, 00400220, 39936404, 39936383, 52050-89451952, 52050-89451952 and 52050-89451953.
In its defense, APC disclosed that the Federal Government had inquired about Tinubu’s criminal record as far back as 2003 through the American Consulate in Nigeria, which yielded a clean bill of health that unequivocally and unreservedly cleared Tinubu of any criminal record, interest or association in the United States.
APC argued that the alleged forfeiture made to the US government, having lasted for a period of 29 years, was no longer a valid ground to challenge Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the presidential election. The party described the allegations referred to as subject to litigation and duly fact-checked, adding that the allegations have been falsely and mischievously paraded by Tinubu’s political adversaries such as the petitioners, detractors, and haters. APC said this was to scandalize, demonize and de-market him to the Nigerian electorate at the 25th February 2023 general election, with a view to delegitimizing his well-earned victory at the polls, despite all legitimate and fact-checked denials and rebuttals as exemplified by the official report from the United States affirming his innocence and exonerating him from the touted drug connection and criminal conviction.
The APC stated that it would apply for a subpoena to be issued again at the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to enable him to adduce and tender in evidence, the letter dated February 3, 2003, reference number SR.3000/IGP SEC/ABJ/VOL. 24/287, which triggered the clearance letter of the Legal attaché of the US Embassy in Nigeria, as well as the response to the same dated 4th February 2003.
