President Bola Tinubu has filed a motion to intervene in a case seeking to compel top U.S. security agencies to release his records.
The motion, filed in the U.S. Court for the Northern District of Columbia, argues that Tinubu would be “adversely affected” if the court denies his request.
The case was initiated by Aaron Greenspan, owner of PlainSite, a website that advocates legal data transparency to end corruption in public service. Greenspan had filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for Tinubu’s records in 2022 in collaboration with Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin.
He hopes that the release will provide clarity regarding controversies surrounding Mr. Tinubu’s background and his involvement in a narcotics case that resulted in the forfeiture of $460,000 in 1993.
Recall that in September, the FBI announced that it would comply with the FOIA request and release Tinubu’s records in batches of 500 pages starting in October. However, Tinubu has now filed a motion to block the release of his records.
Tinubu’s motion argues that he has a “direct interest” in the records sought and that his interests are not “fully represented or protected” by the defendants in the case. The motion also argues that Tinubu’s interests will be “adversely affected” if he is not allowed to intervene.
A similar action was taken by Tinubu when his main political opponent, Atiku Abubakar, sought his educational records from the Chicago State University. The Nigerian leader opposed the release of this information, but his efforts were unsuccessful as the documents were eventually disclosed to Atiku. In addition to facing allegations related to drug dealings and presenting forged certificates to Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, Tinubu is also accused of holding Guinean citizenship, among other allegations.
