US Firm Alleges Tinubu Desperate to Remain in Power

A United States advocacy group, Von Batten-Montague-York, has accused President Bola Tinubu of desperation to remain in office ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The firm made the allegation in a statement posted on its verified X handle on Thursday. It claimed the President is weaponising state institutions to influence the outcome of the polls.

According to the firm, the police, courts and electoral bodies are being deployed to rig the 2027 elections.

The statement was issued in reaction to the reported arrest of five men in Borno State for wearing 'Tinubu Must Go' T-shirts.

Von Batten-Montague-York said the incident points to shrinking democratic space and called for the United States to stand with Nigerians in defence of democracy and the rule of law.

In the post, the group linked its claim to what it described as head-of-state immunity, which it said can shield serving leaders from the jurisdiction of foreign courts.

It further alleged that President Tinubu is aware that his status as President is the only barrier to a possible re-examination of his alleged role in heroin trafficking from Nigeria to the US in the 1980s and 1990s.

The firm said:

"Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is desperate to remain in power for many self-beneficial reasons, including something called head-of-state immunity, a doctrine that can protect sitting heads of state from the jurisdiction of foreign courts while they remain in office."

"Tinubu is now fully aware that the only thing standing in the way of a possible official re-examination of his alleged role in the trafficking of heroin from Nigeria into the United States during the 1980s and 1990s, and a possible new criminal indictment, is his current status as President of Nigeria."

The group presented the claims as its own allegations. No official US government statement or court filing was cited in the post to support the assertions.

Arrest in Borno sparks reaction

The firm said its intervention was prompted by the arrest of the five men in Borno.

The men were reportedly detained for wearing T-shirts with the inscription 'Tinubu Must Go'.

The circumstances of the arrest, including the agency that carried it out and the current status of the men, were not detailed in the firm’s statement.

Nigeria is preparing for the 2027 general elections, with political activities expected to intensify in the coming months.