Politics
The Truth Unveiled: U.S. Court Orders Release of Tinubu’s Drug Files—A National Shame Nigeria Can No Longer Ignore By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published
2 weeks agoon

The Truth Unveiled: U.S. Court Orders Release of Tinubu’s Drug Files—A National Shame Nigeria Can No Longer Ignore
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
In a move that sent shockwaves across the Nigerian political landscape and beyond, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to release long-withheld documents pertaining to a federal investigation into Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s sitting president. The files, which date back to the early 1990s, allegedly tie Tinubu to a narcotics trafficking operation and a subsequent forfeiture of $460,000 to the U.S. government.
The presiding judge, Beryl Howell, delivered a decisive blow to attempts to keep these records concealed. In a ruling made public on Tuesday, Howell declared that “protecting the information from public disclosure is neither logical nor plausible.” These words not only dismantle the legal shield around Tinubu’s past but also ignite fresh concerns about the moral compass and integrity of Nigeria’s highest office.
The Damning 1993 Forfeiture
To understand the gravity of this revelation, one must revisit the dark corridors of 1993 Chicago, where Tinubu, then a rising political figure with financial interests in the United States, came under the radar of American law enforcement. According to U.S. court documents, authorities traced large sums of money in bank accounts linked to Tinubu and his associates to proceeds from heroin trafficking. In what legal experts term a “civil forfeiture,” Tinubu opted to forfeit $460,000 rather than challenge the U.S. government’s assertion that the funds were drug-related.
While forfeiture does not equate to a criminal conviction, it represents a significant concession; one which would have irreversibly tarnished the political future of any public official in a law-abiding democracy. Yet in Nigeria, the matter was swept under the rug, buried beneath layers of political propaganda and institutional complicity.
A Judiciary That Still Works
Judge Howell’s courageous decision reflects the enduring strength of the American judiciary; a system where accountability is not subservient to political power. The ruling is a direct rebuke to those who believe political status should shield individuals from the consequences of their past.
“Public interest in the integrity of foreign heads of state is too great to be silenced by bureaucratic inertia,” Howell added, a statement that should resonate deeply with Nigerians who have long been denied transparency and justice.
In sharp contrast, Nigeria’s own judiciary has repeatedly failed to uphold the principle of probity when it comes to high-ranking officials. A nation where electoral cases are often decided in favor of the powerful; regardless of overwhelming public sentiment; should take a long, hard look at the mirror America is now holding up.
A Nation Held Hostage by Its Leaders
The implications of this court order are profound. They raise questions not only about Tinubu’s moral fitness to lead but also about the collective conscience of a nation that allowed such a man to rise to the presidency.
“Nigeria is not short of capable leaders; it is short of honest ones,” said former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a 2019 interview. Though not directed at Tinubu specifically, the words feel chillingly appropriate in the current context.
How did a man linked to drug trafficking, who forfeited nearly half a million dollars to American authorities, become the Commander-in-Chief of Africa’s largest democracy? The answer lies in Nigeria’s broken institutions, compromised electoral processes, and an elite class more concerned with power than principle.
The Complicity of Silence
Perhaps more troubling than the allegations themselves is the orchestrated silence that followed them. For decades, questions surrounding Tinubu’s past were dismissed as political smears, conveniently brushed aside by allies and ignored by the mainstream media. But now that a U.S. federal court has intervened, the truth is no longer subject to partisan interpretation.
“Silence in the face of injustice is complicity,” said Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate and one of Nigeria’s most respected moral voices. The willful refusal of Nigerian institutions to address these allegations over the years has made them co-conspirators in the degradation of our democracy.
What This Means for Nigeria’s Democracy
This court order is not just an indictment of Tinubu; it is an indictment of Nigeria’s political culture. It exposes a leadership crisis where character is secondary to cunning, and public office is a means of self-preservation rather than public service.
As 2027 looms on the horizon, Nigerians must ask themselves hard questions: Do we want a country where integrity matters? Can we afford to keep rewarding men with questionable pasts simply because they have mastered the art of political manipulation?
“Nigerians must reclaim the republic from those who think leadership is their birthright,” thundered Governor Nyesom Wike in a 2022 rally. His statement, echoing the frustration of millions, underlines a growing hunger for change; a change that must be rooted in truth, accountability, and ethical leadership.
Global Ramifications
This scandal also risks diminishing Nigeria’s already fragile international reputation. As Africa’s most populous nation and one of its largest economies, Nigeria should be a beacon of democratic integrity. Instead, it is increasingly viewed as a kleptocracy, where corrupt elites operate with impunity.
The United States’ decision to make these documents public suggests a growing intolerance for diplomatic hypocrisy. The message is clear: the world is watching, and no amount of diplomatic immunity can shield the morally bankrupt from eventual exposure.
The Way Forward
Now that the truth is clawing its way to the surface, Nigerians must not retreat into apathy. Civil society organizations, legal institutions, and media platforms must demand full disclosure of the contents of the FBI and DEA files. The National Assembly must initiate hearings. The Nigerian Bar Association should speak out. And most importantly, the Nigerian people must not allow this moment to pass without consequence.
This is a call to action.
We must demand that President Tinubu publicly address the allegations and the forfeiture. We must insist on a transparent probe; one not led by political appointees but by a bipartisan, internationally-observed commission. Anything less would be an insult to our collective intelligence.
Final Thoughts: No More Excuses
History will remember this as a turning point; either a moment when Nigeria finally chose truth over tyranny or yet another chapter in a tragic national saga. The decision lies with us.
The time for excuses is over. As Chinua Achebe once said, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” If we are to reclaim our dignity as a people, we must start by holding our leaders to account; no matter how high the office they occupy.
Let this be the beginning of that reckoning.
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Sahara weekly online is published by First Sahara weekly international. contact saharaweekly@yahoo.com

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Politics
Hurricane Tinubu Wrecks PDP: Emergency Meeting Called as Party Bleeds Out!
Published
3 days agoon
April 28, 2025
Hurricane Tinubu Wrecks PDP: Emergency Meeting Called as Party Bleeds Out!
Red alert at Wadata Plaza! The once-mighty People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is teetering on the edge as defections slam the party like a hurricane — a political Category 5 now branded “Hurricane Tinubu.”
In a frantic bid to stop the bleeding, PDP’s battered National Working Committee has called an emergency meeting for Tuesday, desperate to patch up a ship that’s sinking fast.
The latest blow?
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, ex-VP candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, and every key player in Delta’s PDP machinery dumped the party overnight, crossing over to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after a secret meeting in Asaba.
Delta — once a PDP fortress — is now enemy territory.
“We are being wiped out!” cried a top PDP insider who spoke in a panic.
Since the 2023 elections, the PDP has been in a freefall:
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Over 300 members jumped ship to the APC in just one year!
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Zonal and state party structures lie in tatters.
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The National Working Committee is a battlefield, with two rival Secretaries fighting for the party’s soul.
Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum is under fire for steering the party into the storm, while bitter leadership squabbles and expired BoT terms have left the PDP rudderless.
And the defections aren’t slowing down.
Even Oluwole Oke, a five-time Reps member from Osun State, just said “Adiós!” to the PDP — the latest in a wave of desertions that insiders warn could spell total collapse before the 2027 elections.
Tuesday’s emergency meeting will be a fight for survival, where party leaders are expected to debate frantic rescue plans:
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Emergency Congresses,
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A shaky NEC meeting,
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And a make-or-break National Elective Convention.
But will it be too little, too late?
“Most defectors are gone for good,” admitted a senior NWC member. “You can’t stop people running from a burning house!”
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu’s APC watches the chaos gleefully, tightening its grip on Nigeria’s political landscape as rivals self-destruct.
As PDP leaders brace for Tuesday’s showdown, one thing is crystal clear:
If the PDP can’t stop the storm, Hurricane Tinubu will finish the job — and leave Nigeria a one-party state.
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Politics
Democracy Hijacked: Nigeria Under Tinubu and APC’s Reign of Suppression
Published
3 days agoon
April 28, 2025
Democracy Hijacked: Nigeria Under Tinubu and APC’s Reign of Suppression
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Once hailed as Africa’s beacon of hope, Nigeria’s democracy is now a battered relic under the suffocating grip of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC). What the world is witnessing is not the nurturing of democratic ideals, but the systematic strangulation of freedom, rights and popular will. Nigerians no longer possess true political rights. Elections are now caricatures. The judiciary dances to executive tunes. The legislature is a rubber stamp. And the masses? They are muted by fear, poverty and intimidation.
International bodies, supposedly guardians of global democracy, remain mostly silent or issue toothless statements while the giant of Africa bleeds internally.
A Nation in Chains
Since Tinubu’s contested swearing-in on May 29 2023, following what The Guardian (UK) described as a “deeply flawed and poorly conducted election,” Nigeria has descended further into autocracy. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) promised technological transparency with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) only for these mechanisms to be crippled on election day, allowing widespread manipulation.
Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman of Nigeria’s Human Rights Commission, summed it up perfectly:
“You cannot rig a people’s will and claim legitimacy. Tinubu’s government was born in fraud, and fraud cannot father democracy.”
The very essence of democracy, the right to choose one’s leaders freely and fairly; was brazenly hijacked. When protests erupted, they were crushed with brutal force. The media, once vibrant, now operates under threats of shutdowns, fines and arrests. Activists are labeled “terrorists” or “threats to national security.”
Journalist David Hundeyin, an outspoken critic, captured the fear gripping Nigeria:
“We live in a country where telling the truth has become an act of rebellion.”
Poverty, Insecurity, and Silence
While political rights evaporate, Nigerians are suffocated by poverty. Inflation under Tinubu soared to 33.2% by April 2025 (National Bureau of Statistics), the highest in two decades. Food inflation hit 40%, sending millions into deeper hunger. The removal of fuel subsidies without meaningful cushioning plunged transport costs up by 200%, pushing the minimum wage farther below subsistence levels.
Amid these hardships, dissent is criminalized. When labor unions threatened strikes, the regime secured court orders declaring them “illegal.” Protesters are met with police batons and live bullets, just like during the #EndSARS protests in 2020 under Buhari, whose playbook Tinubu is now perfecting.
Even comedians have become unlikely prophets of doom.
Comedian Basketmouth lamented:
“In Nigeria, you now need visa to visit your own human rights. That’s how bad it is.”
International Bodies: Where Are They?
What have international organizations like the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, or even the Commonwealth done? Very little.
The United Nations issued general statements calling for “inclusive governance” without naming the perpetrators.
ECOWAS, often quick to act elsewhere (e.g., coups in Mali, Burkina Faso), has been conspicuously muted about Nigeria, perhaps because Tinubu played a leading role in ECOWAS’s structure.
The African Union has focused more on Sudan and the Sahel, leaving Nigeria to burn quietly.
The United States, after initial noise about “concerns” during the 2023 elections, quickly congratulated Tinubu and moved on, prioritizing oil deals and counterterrorism interests.
This hypocritical diplomacy sends a dangerous signal:
As long as Nigeria supplies oil and keeps Western interests safe, the trampling of human rights will be tolerated.
Democracy or Democrazy?
Late Chinua Achebe, in The Trouble with Nigeria (1983), warned:
“The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”
Tinubu’s reign proves that leadership failure is no longer just a problem; it is now state policy.
Under APC, Nigeria’s democracy is democracy only in name. Elections are rituals devoid of meaning. Courts rubber-stamp electoral thefts, often dismissing glaring irregularities on “technicalities.” Just in 2023, over 75% of election petitions were struck out on “lack of merit,” despite overwhelming evidence of malpractice (according to data compiled by SBM Intelligence).
Social media, once a tool for accountability, is under siege. In February 2025, the National Assembly passed the draconian “Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill,” widely dubbed the “Social Media Gag Law,” criminalizing “insulting public officials” with jail terms up to three years.
As comedian I Go Dye famously quipped:
“In Nigeria, even silence has been accused of hate speech”
The Broader Collapse
Under Tinubu, Nigeria’s global reputation nosedived. According to the 2025 Freedom House report, Nigeria was downgraded from “Partly Free” to “Not Free” for the first time in 20 years.
Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perception Index ranked Nigeria 149th out of 180 countries, worse than war-torn Afghanistan.
The Economist Intelligence Unit predicted that unless political repression ends, Nigeria faces “an inevitable descent into full dictatorship by 2027.”
Already, Nigeria’s youth, once energetic are fleeing en masse. The JAPA syndrome (mass emigration) has become an exodus. According to the UK Home Office, over 100,000 Nigerian professionals emigrated in 2024 alone, the highest African migration recorded.
When the best minds flee, when dissent is crushed, when elections are jokes, what remains of a nation?
What Should Be Done?
International bodies must stop hiding behind diplomatic niceties. Sanctions must target corrupt politicians and human rights abusers, not just coup plotters in smaller African countries.
Targeted Visa Bans: Bar corrupt APC politicians and election riggers from traveling abroad.
Asset Freezes: Block the looted wealth sitting in London, Dubai, and New York.
Global Advocacy: Push for independent media protections and human rights watchdog missions into Nigeria.
If the West and multilateral bodies continue their selective outrage, they will be complicit in Nigeria’s descent into full-blown tyranny.
Inside Nigeria, civil society must regroup. Labor unions, students, market women, comedians, musicians, journalists all must reclaim their role as the conscience of the nation. Democracy is not given by dictators; it is seized by the people.
As the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti warned:
“My people are scared of the air around them, they always have an excuse not to fight for freedom. We must rise.”
A Clarion Call
Nigeria stands today at the edge of a terrifying abyss. Tinubu and the APC have hijacked democracy, and the world watches as freedom withers. But history teaches us that no tyranny is permanent. From South Africa’s apartheid regime to military juntas across Africa, oppressive regimes eventually fall.
The choice is stark: either Nigerians fight back for their rights now, or resign themselves to decades of sophisticated enslavement.
The international community must act. Nigerians must resist. History must not record that in the hour of greatest need, those who should have fought stayed silent.
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Politics
PRIMATE AYODELE SHOCKER!! Not Atiku, Not Obi, only Tinubu Can Make Nigeria Great Again!
Published
5 days agoon
April 25, 2025
PRIMATE AYODELE SHOCKER!! Not Atiku, Not Obi, only Tinubu Can Make Nigeria Great Again!
-Warns President To Do 3 Things To Win 2027 Elections
If there is one prophet presently in Nigeria that has established himself clearly as an oracle, one that foretells accurately what the future holds for different prominent individuals and the country at large, that prophet is no other than Primate Ayodele Elijah, the founder and leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual church. Over the years, he has distinguished himself as different from the rest of the crowd. He is a different breed of prophet. What stands him out distinctly is his ability to hear from the Lord and make prophecies long before they happen.
For instance, in 2022, one of the most popular videos from any prophet back then, was the viral video of Primate Ayodele warning Nigerians not to vote for President Tinubu because, according to him, the country would be plunged into severe economic hardship if he is voted into office. And that’s exactly what happened. But today, Primate Ayodele has another fresh prophecy that changes everything, something many Nigerians will be delighted to hear about. Below is his response when he spoke to City People Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) recently.
What is his position on the gale of defections by many PDP members, including governors and ex-governors to the ruling party, APC, he was asked?
“I have said this before, go and look through our previous prophecies. Maybe a lot of Nigerians are surprised, but I am not the least surprised about this. I specifically mentioned the PDP governors that will defect to the APC and it is all coming to light now. This was what the Lord told me would happen since last year.”
“Now, there is something I want to tell you Nigerians and it is very, very critical and it is important that they listen to me very attentively. I am sure many Nigerians will remember that, in 2022, I was the prophet who warned that they should not vote for President Tinubu and that if they do, the country will be doomed and things will go from bad to worse, right? And it turned out as I foretold. Now, I am the same person coming out strongly to tell Nigerians that, it is that same man, Tinubu, that will take us to the Promised land, and they have to take it or leave it. I said it that the economy will be in shambles if he becomes president, I said the prices of petroleum product will be at an all time high and there will be hardship everywhere. I am now telling you that the same man, come 2027, is the best person for the job. He is the one God will use to turn things around and Nigerians will be happy again.”
“As for Atiku, if he becomes the next president of Nigeria, Nigerians will be in perpetual shock at the outcome of how terrible things will become in the country! If it’s Peter Obi, I am telling you Nigeria will no longer be on the map of the world! If it’s Aminu Tambuwal, Nigeria will crash in only a matter of months. If it’s El-Rufai, Nigeria will be buried for life!”
“I am sure a lot of Nigerians are wondering, what is this man saying? I am saying exactly what I know, exactly what God has told me. When I said the last time that Nigerians would not vote for the best candidate at the time, people said I collected money from Atiku, now that I have declared that the best man for the job is President Tinubu, let them come and tell me I have collected money from Tinubu as well. They say all of these because they do not understand who a prophet is. A prophet is dynamic. A prophet must not be one sided, he must listen to the word of God. Tinubu is the man that will make Nigeria better. And the coming 2027 elections will be largely influenced by ethnicity. And Tinubu’s vote will seriously divide the north.”
Meanwhile, there are three people that must not come out to contest, if they do, Tinubu is in trouble! His re-election for a second term will be in crisis. I will not mention the names now, if I must do that, I will speak to only the appropriate person and that’s the president. I want to speak with the president himself and if he likes, let him listen to me because there are three things the president must do to guarantee his re-election for a second term. If he does not do those three things, he will lose the election, I can guarantee him that. He needs to do these very critical things, three of them, before he can be guaranteed of victory in 2027.”
“As for the President’s wife, she must be careful and guide against being poisoned. She must change her cook.”
Primate was asked to comment on the moves by prominent politicians and the opposition to form what they consider a powerful coalition against the President and his government.
“All these coalitions they are forming all over the place is not new to me, people leaving one party for another party has never been an issue with me. I knew all this would happen and we said so. So, its not new,” Primate Ayodele stated.
The highly revered prophet launched into other areas of governance and politics.
“Adebayo Adelabu cannot become governor of Oyo state. If APC gives him their ticket it is going to be nothing but a wasted vote. If they give it to him, the APC will lose disgracefully.”
“In Anambra state, Uwachukwu Nicholas cannot unseat Soludo as governor. Let him run to anywhere he wants, he cannot succeed unless he does some very significant and needful things that will enhance his chances. But limiting his chances to his own capacity and ideas alone, he should forget it, he will not win the Anambra election.
In Osun state, PDP will still retain power. If APC brings back Oyetola, they will lose the election so disgracefully that the APC in Osun state will go into oblivion. Nobody will remember APC again in Osun state.
Outside of politics, I see Eleganza being set ablaze and shoprite. In addition, I am seeing that hundreds of herdsmen will be killed and they will be chased out of the country. I also see the end of militants fighting themselves.
Eggs will become scarce. We must pay attention to our international airports to ensure that no shooting targetted against a VIP takes place.
IGP Egbetokun will go. Then, I must not forget to reveal that Nyesom Wike, the Attorney General of the federation and Ribadu will be engulfed in a very serious fight.
I warned Fubara that he must not go against the FG, he must use the government for government. He has listened to my warnings now, I had released the warning since October 2024. If he follows my advice to him, I am telling you, Fubara will come back, he will go for a second term and he will win.”
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