2027: Oyintiloye accuses opposition of recycling allegations against Tinubu

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

An Osun State chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has accused opposition elements of recycling allegations against President Bola Tinubu as part of their strategy to mislead Nigerians and gain sympathy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, made the allegation in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Sunday, describing claims that the United States had reopened a drug-trafficking case against Tinubu as political propaganda intended to distract Nigerians.

He argued that there was no criminal retrial against the President, stressing that no U.S. court had reopened such a case or pronounced Tinubu guilty of drug trafficking.

He said the issue generating controversy was a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking access to records held by U.S. law enforcement agencies, rather than a criminal prosecution or retrial.

“An FOIA case is about access to government records. It is not a criminal trial, a retrial or a judicial declaration of guilt,” he said.

The APC chieftain also cautioned against interpreting the existence of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) records as automatic evidence of criminality, noting that investigative files could contain unproven allegations, leads or information provided by third parties.

Oyintiloye further referred to FOIA Exemption 7(C), which protects certain law enforcement information where its disclosure could amount to an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

He therefore urged Nigerians and the media to avoid what he described as “trial by document”, adding that the controversy was part of what he called a recurring pattern of allegations against Tinubu, particularly at critical points in his political career.