President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s three-week trip to Europe has triggered fresh political controversy, with a Washington-based government adviser and consultant linking the timing of the journey to renewed calls for the release of United States records allegedly connected to the Nigerian president.
The Presidency announced on Sunday that Tinubu had departed Abuja for London, United Kingdom, for his annual leave. According to Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President is expected to return to Nigeria after three weeks to join preparations for the January 2027 election.
However, the trip has attracted renewed scrutiny following comments by Dr. Karl Von Batten, a senior government adviser and consultant based in Washington, DC.
In a post on X on Sunday, Batten described the development as significant amid renewed demands for the release of US records relating to allegations surrounding Tinubu.
“Amid Growing Heroin Allegations, Tinubu Runs to His Friends in Europe,” he wrote.
Batten argued that perceptions of Western involvement in African politics were influencing how some Nigerians viewed the Tinubu administration.
He claimed that some Nigerians believe Western powers protect leaders in order to maintain influence over their countries and resources.
“A long-held view across Africa, the Middle East, and South America, is that Western powers install or protect puppet Leaders to control countries and their resources,” Batten wrote.
He added that, in his view, some Nigerians now regard Tinubu as such a leader, with alleged US records relating to drug-trafficking allegations being viewed as evidence of foreign protection.
Fresh attention on FBI, DEA records
The controversy centres on a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case in the United States seeking the release of documents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Opposition figures in Nigeria have repeatedly referred to the case in recent weeks while calling for greater transparency concerning records they say are connected to Tinubu.
Batten argued that the continued withholding of the documents was contributing to public suspicion.
He said:
“We may never know whether Bola Tinubu has ever traded Nigerian secrets or resources in exchange for protection, but many Nigerians see the past DOJ’s efforts to keep these records hidden as further proof that Western powers are protecting Bola Tinubu.”
He stressed that the allegations remained a matter of perception and questioned what the continued secrecy surrounding the records could mean for public confidence.
“The longer the records remain hidden, the stronger the belief becomes that foreign powers have something they can hold over Nigeria’s Ruler,” he added.
2027 election concerns
Batten also linked the controversy to Nigeria’s forthcoming 2027 presidential election, warning that questions surrounding transparency could deepen political tensions.
He called on Western governments to ensure that the election is free and fair, arguing that a lack of confidence in the electoral process could increase instability.
“This is why Western powers must ensure that Nigeria’s upcoming Presidential election is free and fair,” he said.
“Anything else heightens the risk of Nigeria going the way of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.”
The three West African countries have experienced military takeovers in recent years.
Presidency says Tinubu is on annual leave
The controversy comes as the Presidency maintains that Tinubu’s absence from Nigeria is simply part of his annual vacation.
Onanuga said the President travelled to London and would spend three weeks away before returning to Nigeria to participate in preparations for the 2027 election.
The claims made by Batten regarding the purpose of Tinubu’s European trip and any alleged exchange of Nigerian resources or secrets for political protection were not established by the information provided.
The FOIA proceedings and any eventual release or non-release of the requested FBI and DEA records could therefore remain a focal point in the political debate ahead of the 2027 election.
Editor’s Note: The allegations and opinions attributed to Dr. Karl Von Batten in this report are presented as claims and have not been independently established as facts.