The Presidency has explained why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is opposing the release of unredacted records held by United States law enforcement agencies, saying the matter involves lawful exemptions under the US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and does not amount to a criminal case against the Nigerian leader.

The Presidency, in a statement issued amid renewed public debate over the matter, said the ongoing litigation before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia is a civil dispute over access to government records.

It stressed that neither the court nor any US government agency has found Tinubu guilty of criminal wrongdoing in the case.

The Presidency said the dispute dates to 2022, when Aaron Greenspan submitted FOIA requests to several US government agencies seeking records relating to Tinubu.

According to the statement, after some agencies withheld records or declined to confirm or deny whether certain records existed, Greenspan commenced Civil Action No. 23-1816 before the US District Court for the District of Columbia in 2023.

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