Don’t Waste Your Time You Can Never Become Nigeria’s President’ – Lawyer Tells Atiku
Barrister Maxwell Opara engaged a U.S. law firm to lobby American lawmakers using decades-old court records and U.S. Department of Justice documents relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking during a television interview, Opara questioned the entire move, insisting that the United States would never put Nigeria’s interests ahead of its own.
You people don’t even understand how these white men operate. They look at what will benefit them first. Trump has already told the world, America First. So when you have a political problem in your own country and you are looking for external help, I think it is a mistake, he said.
According to him, America is only interested in what benefits America and has no reason to interfere in Nigeria’s internal political affairs.
He claimed that shortly after Atiku’s lobbying effort became public, Donald Trump commended President Tinubu over his efforts in tackling insecurity and improving Nigeria’s economy.
What happened after receiving that letter? Trump wrote to our president, commending him for his effort on security and the economy. That should tell you these people are not interested in your political battle, Opara stated.
The lawyer argued that both the messenger and the message should be questioned, accusing Atiku of placing personal ambition above Nigeria’s opposition politics.
Atiku had the opportunity to galvanize the opposition and give the ruling party the biggest challenge of its life. Instead, he is working based on his own selfish and personal interest. He disorganized the opposition and is now spending our hard-earned money to hire a law firm to lobby for him.
Opara insisted that America had already discarded the lobbying effort.
Thank God that Trump has put that particular letter into the dustbin and went ahead to commend the president.
He maintained that no foreign country has the constitutional power to remove a Nigerian president or overturn the judgment of Nigeria’s Supreme Court.
Under what law can America remove our president? Nigeria is a sovereign state. The procedure for removing a president is clearly stated in our own laws.
He also dismissed suggestions that submissions made to foreign authorities could reopen issues already decided by Nigeria’s courts.
It is just a futility. How can America reverse what the Supreme Court has decided? Do they have appellate jurisdiction over the Supreme Court of Nigeria? The highest they can achieve is making it a subject of discussion.
According to Opara, foreign governments already know everything Atiku is trying to tell them through diplomats and intelligence reports.
You don’t need to hire a lobbyist to tell them whether this government obeys the rule of law or fights corruption. They already know these things. They have diplomats and intelligence. Going to get a lobbyist is simply a waste of time and money.
Drawing from his experience during legal proceedings involving Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Opara claimed foreign governments would never damage their relationship with Nigeria over internal political disputes.
These foreigners are interested in themselves. If anything will affect their bilateral relationship with Nigeria, they won’t go into it. They are looking at America’s interest first. If they don’t benefit, they will simply throw the letter into the dustbin.
The lawyer further urged Nigerians to resolve their political differences internally instead of seeking foreign intervention.
We have to come back and solve our problems ourselves. Everybody should drop personal, tribal and religious interests and move this country forward.
Opara also took direct aim at Atiku’s continued presidential ambition, arguing that it has weakened the opposition.
What stopped him from bringing younger people together to build a formidable opposition? Look at what is happening with Wike, ADC and Peter Obi. Instead of uniting the opposition, everybody is divided because of personal ambition.
He advised Atiku to abandon his presidential ambition and support Peter Obi instead.
Let Atiku drop his presidential ambition and support Peter Obi so Nigeria can have a formidable opposition. That is the naked truth, whether people like to hear it or not.
Opara concluded by saying President Tinubu understands international politics and America’s way of doing business, insisting the current administration has no reason to lose sleep over Atiku’s latest move.
President Tinubu understands the game very well. Atiku is just wasting his time because President Tinubu is on top of the game. The more he keeps pushing this ambition by all means, the more people see him as a kindergarten politician.
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