The ADC presidential candidate urges the FBI to release any legally disclosable information on President Tinubu, while defending his plan to restore a targeted and audited fuel subsidy if elected in 2027.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the reported position of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that releasing certain records concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could put lives at risk.

Atiku argued that Nigerians are already living with serious threats to their lives, security and livelihoods, insisting that the public deserves access to any information about the background of a sitting president that can legally be disclosed.

The former vice president made his position known through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, who said the argument that disclosure could endanger lives should not be used to withhold information that is legitimately in the public interest.

According to Atiku, Nigerians have continued to lose their lives to terrorism, banditry and other forms of insecurity, while millions more are struggling with hunger, high transportation costs, unaffordable healthcare and the broader impact of the country’s economic crisis.

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He also blamed some of the hardship on the economic policies of the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy, which he said has significantly increased the cost of living and placed additional pressure on households and businesses.

Atiku called on the FBI to make public any records relating to Tinubu that can legally be released, while ensuring that confidential sources, ongoing investigations and sensitive law-enforcement techniques remain protected.

He maintained that transparency should be balanced with legitimate security concerns, rather than used as a blanket justification for withholding information that Nigerians have a right to know.

Atiku further argued that as President Tinubu seeks to remain in office beyond 2027, voters should be able to examine relevant information about his background and character before making their decision at the polls.

The former vice president also defended his proposal to restore the petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, amid criticism that returning to subsidy payments could reopen the door to corruption and public fund diversion.

Atiku said the subsidy arrangement he envisages would be fundamentally different from the opaque system of the past.

He said his proposed subsidy would be targeted, transparently financed, subject to a clear spending cap and independently audited to ensure that public funds are not siphoned off through fraudulent claims or other abuses.

The 2027 presidential race is already taking shape, with Atiku positioning himself as one of the leading opposition figures seeking to challenge the Tinubu administration.

His latest comments add another layer to the growing political debate over transparency, economic policy and the direction of Nigeria ahead of the next presidential election.