The All Progressives Congress has opened up that its candidate in the just concluded presidential election and President-elect, Bola Tinubu, forfeited the sum of $460,000 to the government of the United States of America, in 1993 following a drug trafficking allegation.
The party however, refuted claim that Tinubu was convicted by US as a result of the forfeiture.Recall that Tinubu polled a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the February 25 presidential election.
Following his declaration as president-elect, the candidate of Labour Party (LP)llAccording to him, Tinubu’s forfeiture of his funds to the US government over drug trafficking allegation is an indication that the former Lagos State governor committed infractions that should disqualify him from running for an election in Nigeria.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
However, the party, in processes it filed to defend its candidate, refuted the claim that Tinubu was convicted by the US as a result of the forfeiture.
The APC informed the Presidential Election Petition Court, sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, that funds in the said accounts, which were domiciled in two commercial banks, were subject to a “civil forfeiture proceeding” in Case No: 93C4483.
“The said decision is not against the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) but against the funds in the various account opened in the name of Bola Tinubu with First Heritage Bank and City Bank N.A.
“The compromise terms that led to the forfeiture were preceded by express admission on record that the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) did not admit the commission of any drug, drug-related or illicit conduct of dishonesty or fraud that fits into any of the grounds of disqualification to contest for the office of president of Nigeria at the February 25, 2023 general election,” the APC told the Tribunal.
