Tinubu drug claim: Agbonayinma vows to sue over misleading report

Former House of Representatives member Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma has threatened to sue US-based lobbyist Karl Von Batten over a report that allegedly linked President Bola Tinubu to drug trafficking, Daily Post reports.

Agbonayinma, a member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said the use of his photograph in the publication created a misleading impression about his identity and the purpose of his petition. He warned that he would take legal action against those behind what he called a “deliberate” distortion of his position.

He also rejected claims that his 14-day ultimatum to the EFCC was a political move by Tinubu, the APC or any other group.

The threat follows a petition he filed through his lawyer, Hannibal Egbe Uwaifo, SAN, urging the EFCC to revisit allegations against Atiku Abubakar from his time as vice president under Olusegun Obasanjo. Dated August 27, 2026 and received by the EFCC on September 1, the petition gave the agency 14 days to act or face legal action.

He said the demand was based on an earlier EFCC investigation into allegations against Atiku between 2005 and 2006, and cited a 2010 report by the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Agbonayinma said the move has no political undertone ahead of next year’s general elections, but comes from his belief that allegations of financial misconduct against public officers should be investigated. “I stand by my call for accountability and the rule of law,” he said.