U.S. Court Grants Bola Tinubu Permission to Oppose Release of FBI Records
The U.S. Court for the District of Columbia has given the green light to President Bola Tinubu’s bid to intervene and resist the disclosure of his records held by top U.S. security agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Judge Beryl A. Howell, in a ruling on November 27, sided with Tinubu, affirming that he satisfied the four qualifying factors for intervention.
These factors, as gathered by Politics Nigeria, encompass the timeliness of the motion, Tinubu’s vested interest in the records, the potential hindrance to protecting his interests, and the sufficiency of his representation by existing parties.
The court’s decision allows Tinubu to intervene in a case initiated by Aaron Greenspan, the owner of Plainsite, a platform dedicated to transparency and anti-corruption in public service.
Greenspan, with the support of Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin, had filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking the release of Tinubu’s records, a move that attracted significant attention in Nigeria.
According to Judge Howell’s ruling, Tinubu’s intervention will not disrupt proceedings, given that he acted promptly to adhere to any later-imposed briefing schedule.
Furthermore, the ruling acknowledged Tinubu’s legitimate interest, noting that the FOIA requests pertain to information about him that could implicate his privacy.
The FBI had previously announced its intent to release approximately 2,500 pages of information on Mr Tinubu in five monthly batches starting October 2023.
This revelation raised public anticipation in Nigeria, with hopes that it would resolve controversies surrounding Tinubu’s alleged forfeiture of $460,000, purportedly proceeds of narcotics trafficking, to the U.S. government in 1993.
Tinubu has expressed concerns about being “adversely affected” if the records are made public, underlining the significance of the court’s recent decision in safeguarding his privacy and interests.
Source: Politics Nigeria
