By Uzair Adam
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, citing the ongoing legal proceedings in the United States over alleged links to narcotics trafficking.
The party said the President’s recent legal action before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was an indication of his concern over the possible release of documents allegedly linking him to drug-related activities.
The APM National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, made the position known in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to the party, President Tinubu, through his lawyers, filed a plea on August 28, 2026, seeking to block a summary judgment and prevent the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from releasing documents it described as potentially incriminating.
The APM argued that the attempt to prevent the release of the documents amounted to an effort to suppress evidence that could have implications for the President.
The party said that if Tinubu’s legal team was confident of his innocence, the case should instead be allowed to proceed so that the documents could be examined and the President’s name cleared.
It further argued that the invocation of privacy concerns and the possible impact of releasing the documents on Nigerian politics showed that the matter had serious implications for the President.
The party also drew attention to Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which outlines the conditions that could disqualify an individual from contesting the presidency.
The APM said Nigeria’s obligations under international treaties on drug and narcotic control further underscored the importance of the matter.
The party said it remained confident that the U.S. court would determine the case based on the law and evidence presented before it.
“As a party, we insist that no individual, regardless of their political position, should be beyond the reach of the law, especially regarding drug-related issues of legitimate concern to the entire world,” the statement said.
The APM also cited the conviction of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández by a U.S. federal jury in Manhattan in March 2024 on drug-related charges as an example of how political status, in its view, should not shield anyone from prosecution.
The party consequently urged President Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest, saying Nigeria deserved a president who was free from allegations involving fraud, corruption and dishonesty.
“We, therefore, counsel President Tinubu to spare the nation the pain, cost, and embarrassment of this situation by stepping down from the race,” the party said.
The APM also called on other presidential aspirants to be prepared for public scrutiny of their records as the 2027 election approaches.
