By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Community advocate and mass communicator Ganiyu Olamiji Oyebanjo (GOCO) has criticised renewed calls for the United States Department of Justice to revisit historical allegations linking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a 1993 civil forfeiture case in the United States.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Oyebanjo described the renewed campaign as an example of selective global accountability, arguing that international scrutiny is often applied unevenly.
Reacting to a viral social media post referencing the decades-old case, Oyebanjo said the renewed attention appeared politically motivated and questioned what he described as inconsistent standards in the application of international justice.
Citing the legal principle that “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands,” he argued that leaders from developing countries are often subjected to greater scrutiny than their counterparts in Western nations.
According to him, historical legal matters involving leaders in developing countries are frequently revisited, while contemporary controversies involving Western leaders are often addressed through domestic regulatory mechanisms or corporate sanctions.
“If the international community wishes to act as a credible arbiter of global integrity, it must reject the current model of lopsided accountability,” Oyebanjo said.
He described the continued focus on the 1993 civil forfeiture proceedings as “geopolitical theatre,” adding that assessments of political leaders should be based primarily on their current performance in office.
Oyebanjo urged critics to evaluate public office holders using indicators such as governance, security, economic management and the overall impact of their policies on citizens’ welfare.
He concluded his remarks by calling on the public to move beyond the historical controversy, stating, “Leave Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu alone.”
The comments come amid renewed online discussions surrounding the decades-old U.S. civil forfeiture case involving President Tinubu, an issue that has periodically resurfaced in Nigeria’s political discourse.