Retired Major General Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi has alleged that two prominent APC members sought confidential records on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from United States government agencies.
Ali-Keffi made the allegation while discussing events surrounding Tinubu’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate for the 2023 election.
The retired general said former Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Modibbo Hamman-Tukur, told him about the alleged move. According to Ali-Keffi, the incident occurred during the political struggle for the APC presidential ticket.
APC figures allegedly sought Tinubu’s records
Ali-Keffi said Hamman-Tukur told him that two influential APC figures opposed to Tinubu had gained unauthorised access to the NFIU director’s office.
He alleged that the two individuals then contacted US government agencies. They reportedly requested confidential information about Tinubu, including records linked to terrorism financing.
“Two prominent APC people who were against Tinubu entered illegally into the office of NFIU director and sent messages to the US government agencies requesting confidential records of Bola Ahmed Tinubu on those issues – terrorism financing,” Ali-Keffi said.
He said Hamman-Tukur became uncomfortable after learning about the alleged request. According to Ali-Keffi, the former NFIU director later went to his office at about 2am. The people allegedly involved left after discovering that he had arrived.
Ali-Keffi said the US authorities later responded to the request. However, he stressed that he did not know what the response contained.
“I don’t know what the record is or related to current issues regarding his forfeiture and other issues, if I am not mistaken,” he said.
The retired general also made clear that he did not personally see the alleged records. He said his account came from information provided by Hamman-Tukur.
Ali-Keffi links El-Rufai to the matter
Ali-Keffi also mentioned former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in his account. He alleged that El-Rufai knew about information relating to the request for Tinubu’s records.
However, Ali-Keffi said the former governor did not support using confidential information against Tinubu. The retired general argued that releasing such information before the APC primary could have affected Tinubu’s chances.
“Had people like the former NFIU Director and people like El-Rufai who were in the know, who were aware of that documents that were sent in respect of candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had they allowed it to get to public domain at that time, I believe it would have perhaps hurt the candidacy of Ahmed Bola Tinubu,” Ali-Keffi said.
“Certainly, he wouldn’t have gotten the ticket to fly the flag of APC at that time,” he added.
Ali-Keffi did not identify the two APC figures he accused of seeking the records. He also did not provide documentary evidence to support the allegation.
Tinubu later won APC presidential ticket
Tinubu eventually emerged as the APC presidential candidate in June 2022. He later defeated Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the February 2023 presidential election.
Ali-Keffi said his decision to support Tinubu was influenced by arguments for power to move from the North to the South. He said El-Rufai had argued that a southern candidate would promote balance after former President Muhammadu Buhari completed eight years in office.
The retired general also recalled a separate conversation involving former Federal Inland Revenue Service chairman Muhammad Nami.
According to Ali-Keffi, Nami approached an unnamed minister during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He wanted the minister to support Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
Ali-Keffi said the minister expressed concerns about Tinubu and warned that he could target some political figures if he became president.
“Look, Ahmed Tinubu is going to come after them. He was going to do this and that. You people don’t know this,” Ali-Keffi recalled the minister as saying.
Nami, according to the retired general, continued to argue for a southern presidency.
Retired general regrets supporting Tinubu
Ali-Keffi said he now regrets supporting Tinubu in the 2023 election. “I regret actually voting for him,” he said.
He also said he would not support the APC in the next election. “I’m not going to vote APC next election,” Ali-Keffi said.
The allegations come amid renewed attention on records concerning Tinubu that US authorities have been asked to release.
In August, the FBI opposed the release of some records linked to investigations involving Tinubu. The agency cited exemptions under the US Freedom of Information Act and argued that disclosure could reveal law-enforcement methods and potentially endanger individuals.
