By Emmanuel Babafemi
July 25, 2026
Former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has said President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar both carry long standing corruption allegations that are unlikely to determine the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, on Thursday, Akande argued that neither the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, nor the opposition can claim the moral high ground on corruption.
He insisted both Tinubu and Atiku have faced years of public scrutiny over various allegations.
According to him, efforts by supporters of either politician to revive old corruption claims will have little impact on voters because the issues have already been extensively debated and litigated.
“When you put Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku up against each other on the questions around corruption, I don’t think it’s going to be helpful to either of them because both of them have sufficient baggage,” Akande said.
He dismissed renewed attempts by Atiku’s supporters to circulate documents relating to Tinubu’s decades old legal controversies in the United States, including the drug related forfeiture case.
He described the move as politically ineffective.
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“So, this attempt by the Atiku camp to circulate copies around the Congress about the drug case involving Tinubu is of no moment.
The matter has been litigated, relitigated and interrogated.
Can they find something new to talk about?” he asked.
Akande also said the APC could respond by reopening past allegations involving Atiku if the political contest descends into an exchange of corruption accusations.
While noting that the Halliburton bribery scandal may not be the strongest issue against the former Vice President, he pointed instead to the corruption case involving former United States Congressman William Jefferson, who was convicted after investigators found cash hidden in a freezer at his home.
Akande claimed allegations linking Jefferson to Atiku could resurface if political attacks intensify ahead of the next general election.
He maintained that, unless fresh evidence emerges, reviving old allegations against either Tinubu or Atiku is unlikely to reshape the political landscape before 2027.
He added that Nigerians are more likely to assess candidates based on their performance in office, policy direction, and capacity to address the nation’s economic and security challenges.
