Bola Tinubu, the President-elect forfeited $460,000 to the United States government following a drug trafficking allegation, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has admitted.
But the APC candidate was not convicted as a drug lord, the party also said.
The party was responding to a suit filed at the Presidential election petition tribunal in Abuja, the nation’s capital by Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, alleging that by virtue of his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking case, Tinubu, the Presidential candidate of the APC in the February 25 presidential election, is not qualified to run for the office.
The LP candidate also claimed in the petition that it was wrong for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to declare Tinubu winner allegedly being a former drug lord.
Obi claimed that the forfeiture of the humongous amount is an admittance that the former governor committed the alleged offence in the US.
The APC, however, stated that Tinubu’s forfeiture of the sum is not an admission that he committed the crime, adding that the APC Candidate only surrendered funds in accounts opened in some banks in his name.
The APC claimed that “the said decision is not against the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) but against the funds in the various account opened in the name of Bola Tinubu with First Heritage Bank and City Bank N.A.
“The compromise terms that led to the forfeiture were preceded by express admission on record that the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) did not admit the commission of any drug, drug-related or illicit conduct of dishonesty or fraud that fits into any of the grounds of disqualification to contest for office of president of Nigeria at the 25th February, 2023 general election.”
Those watching the tribunal proceedings, said this is just the beginning of what to expect as legal fireworks enter full throttle in the election that has been described as one of the most controversial in the nation’s history.
