The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum has called on former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other prominent Nigerian elder statesmen to publicly address the ongoing legal controversy in the United States involving records relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The group, in a statement signed by its President, Chief Akin Malaolu, on Sunday, said the latest developments in the U.S. court proceedings had renewed questions about transparency, accountability and the international reputation of Nigeria’s presidency.
Malaolu urged Obasanjo, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka and former President Goodluck Jonathan, among others, to break what he described as their “graveyard silence” on the matter.
According to him, the controversy should not be treated merely as another political dispute, arguing that Nigerians deserve clarity on the issues arising from the U.S. legal proceedings.
The group acknowledged that an investigation does not constitute a conviction or establish criminal guilt.
“This does not amount to a conviction, nor should anyone pretend that an investigation is proof of guilt,” Malaolu said.
He, however, maintained that the reported reference to a criminal investigation involving Tinubu was sufficiently significant to warrant public scrutiny because of his position as Nigeria’s President.
Malaolu questioned why prominent Nigerians who had historically spoken out on matters concerning democracy, governance and national integrity had not publicly demanded greater transparency over the records being litigated in the United States.
He particularly referenced Obasanjo, who was President when Tinubu served as Governor of Lagos State, and questioned whether the Federal Government at the time had done everything within its powers to establish the facts surrounding issues that may have arisen.
The Yoruba Ronu leader also suggested that reported political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections could be influencing the former president’s silence, while stressing that his appeal was not directed at Obasanjo alone.
He argued that if the records contain nothing incriminating, lawful disclosure would help resolve the controversy, while any remaining legitimate questions should be addressed through an independent and credible process.
“What is unacceptable is silence,” he added.
The group also called on President Tinubu to support what it described as the fullest lawful disclosure of relevant records and provide Nigerians with clear answers to the questions surrounding the U.S. proceedings.
Malaolu warned against assuming that international legal and geopolitical developments could not have consequences for Nigeria, citing the experiences of countries such as Venezuela and Panama as reminders of how rapidly international developments could unfold.
He nevertheless stressed that the group was not predicting any particular outcome for Nigeria or the President.
“No responsible Nigerian should wish for, or predict, any particular outcome for Nigeria or its President,” he said, while urging national leaders to confront the issues before they potentially become more difficult to resolve.
The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum further said that if credible evidence were ultimately established showing that Tinubu’s continued occupancy of the presidency was incompatible with the integrity expected of the office, resignation would be the “honourable course.”
The organisation concluded by stressing that the interests of Nigeria should take precedence over those of individual politicians, political parties or other interests.
“Nigeria is bigger than Tinubu. Nigeria is bigger than Obasanjo. Nigeria is bigger than any individual, political party, ethnic group or political interest,” Malaolu said.
He urged Nigerians and the country’s elder statesmen to demand accountability and seek clarity on the controversy, saying, “Nigerians deserve the truth. Nigeria deserves accountability.”