President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the US District Court for the District of Columbia to reject a request for the release of his unredacted records with the FBI and DEA.

In court filings made public on Saturday, 29th August 2026, Tinubu gave 4 reasons why the records should remain sealed.

Tinubu’s 4 Reasons:

1. US Law: The Freedom of Information Act, FOIA and Privacy Act prohibit disclosure of such personal law-enforcement records.

2. No Public Interest: There is no recognized public interest to balance. “Fitness for office” is not a basis FOIA recognizes.

3. Privacy Protection: The records are exempt under Exemption 7(C) which protects personal info in law-enforcement files.

4. Political Motive: The requester has an “ulterior motive” and is seeking documents with the President’s name for Nigerian politics.

His lawyers are Christopher Carmichael, Victor Henderson and Oluwole Afolabi.

The request was filed by US transparency activist, Aaron Greenspan. He argued the records concern the “sitting President of Nigeria” and a nation of 230m people affected by his decisions.

Greenspan wants the “entire FBI file” on Tinubu and FBI Form 302 interview records from 1992-1993.

In April 2025, US District Judge 

Beryl Howell ordered the FBI and DEA to process the records. The agencies are now seeking to keep portions redacted, citing privacy, investigative techniques and safety.

The issue resurfaced during the 2023 election after a 1993 US civil forfeiture surfaced. A US court in Illinois had ordered forfeiture of $460,000 in an account in Tinubu’s name. The US alleged it was proceeds of narcotics trafficking.

The APC said it was a civil matter, not a criminal conviction. The Labour Party argued it was a disqualifying conviction.

The Presidential Election Petition Court in Sept 2023 ruled that petitioners failed to prove Tinubu was arrested, arraigned, convicted or sentenced in a criminal case in the US.

Opposition Reacts: “Let The Records Be Released”

ADC Spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi: “Why is the President opposing the release? That is suspicious. He should come out clean. This is not good for him and the image of the country.”

NDC Publicity Secretary, Osa Director: “Nigerians deserve to know the truth. Whether it is the opposition or not, if the issue wasn’t there, they wouldn’t capitalize on it. It is over 20 years. He should clear the air once and for all.”

Tinubu’s lawyers countered that even if parts of the 1993 case are public, an individual still retains privacy interest in undisclosed details. They asked the court to deny Greenspan’s motion and allow FBI/DEA to maintain redactions.

The ongoing FOIA case is about access to US government records and is not a criminal prosecution or a finding that Tinubu committed a drug-trafficking offence.

Source: Punch news.