Drug Trafficking A Criminal Offence, Tinubu May Not Participate In 2023 Presidential Election – Daniel Bwala

Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may be ruled out of the 2023 presidential race if his drug trafficking case gets to court, says a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Daniel Bwala.

The spokesman for PDP’s Atiku Abubakar/Ifeanyi Okowa presidential campaign said on Thursday that drug trafficking, whether in Nigeria or abroad, is a criminal offence and that if found guilty, Tinubu may lose participation in the coming presidential election.

Naija News understands that Bwala came to this conclusion in reaction to the controversy surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.

A viral document released by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois identified Tinubu as a defendant in a court case accusing him of involvement in drug trafficking.

The document contained evidence of Tinubu’s alleged involvement in narcotics and money laundering about 30 years ago.

The matter, which ended in a settlement, led to Tinubu’s forfeiture of $460,000 in one of the accounts linked to the former governor, Naija News reports.

The spokesperson for the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, however, had faulted the document, arguing that Tinubu was not indicted in the matter and had no case to answer.

Bwala, however, while speaking live on Channels Television’s Politics Today said: “I’m afraid that the conclusion of this case is that, from the eyes of the law. Bola may be disqualified from contesting if the matter goes to court.”

Bwala added saying, “Narcotics and money laundering, whether in Nigeria or the United States, is a criminal offence.”

Drug And Narcotics Is A Terrible Case

Bwala went further to say that drug dealing is a terrible case and that issue with Tinubu is a matter of character.

“For the Nigerian people, the source of the money is important, but there is still a cloud around drug-related offences and drug-related activity with somebody who wants to be the country’s number one citizen,” he said.

“Recently, there was a massive busting of cocaine in Nigeria. This idea of drugs and narcotics is a terrible case worldwide.

“And if someone has that questionable character and is elected as a President, what it means is that it will embolden people who are into those activities. That’s why the person has to come out clean.”