Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has called on Nigerians to resist what he termed foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs, following efforts to release documents allegedly connected to drug-trafficking investigations involving President Bola Tinubu from more than three decades ago.

The retired Army chief made this appeal in a position paper titled, “Nigeria First: A Case for Protecting National Sovereignty and Dignity – A Patriotic and Non-Partisan Perspective,” which he shared on his verified Facebook page on Sunday.

Buratai argued that the controversy trailing the President should not be permitted to damage Nigeria’s international reputation or compromise the country’s sovereignty. This comes after a United States District Court for the District of Columbia reportedly gave Tinubu, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice until August 28, 2026, to oppose the release of the documents in question.

According to Buratai, the matter has grown beyond the person of the President and carries broader implications for the country and its citizens.

He stated, “This is not merely about Bola Tinubu— it is about 250 million Nigerians whose national pride, economic prospects, and global standing hang in the balance. When the world reads headlines about a ‘Nigerian president’ linked to drug allegations, they do not separate the man from the nation. They see Nigeria. They see Nigerians.”

The former Army chief maintained that the allegations, dating back roughly 33 years, ought to be viewed within the context of the era in which they allegedly occurred, rather than being used to define Tinubu’s entire political career, including his time as Lagos State governor and his subsequent role in national politics.

He asked, “Can any Nigerian honestly claim that they are the same person they were 33 years ago? Can any nation claim that its leaders should be judged exclusively by the actions of their youth rather than by their decades of subsequent service?”

Buratai also questioned the propriety of a foreign court determining the character of a sitting Nigerian President, describing it as an issue that touches on national sovereignty.

He stated, “Does the United States have the right to determine the reputation of Nigeria’s head of state? Should a foreign court be the arbiter of character for a man elected by millions of Nigerians? We did not elect an American court to vet our leaders. We did not ask the FBI to determine the character of our president.”

He urged political leaders across party lines to refrain from politicising the issue, insisting that national interest ought to override partisan considerations. He further cautioned that disclosure of the documents could carry economic consequences, especially if foreign investors read the controversy as a sign of political instability, citing foreign direct investment, development partnerships, diaspora remittances, tourism and the overseas operations of Nigerian businesses as vulnerable areas.

He stated, “These are not abstract concerns; they are concrete threats to the livelihoods of everyday Nigerians.”

Buratai linked the matter to the 2027 general elections, warning that the timing of any disclosure could hand foreign actors what he called “an unprecedented influence over the outcome of Nigerian elections.”

He, however, clarified that his position was not a call to shield leaders from accountability.

He stated, “This does not mean that leaders should be immune from accountability. It means that accountability must be pursued in ways that respect the dignity of the office and the nation.”

Buratai called on the Federal Government to engage the United States diplomatically and urged Tinubu’s legal team to deploy every available legal argument against the release of the documents. He also advocated national solidarity, public enlightenment, diaspora engagement and a communication strategy should the court eventually order disclosure, alongside stronger domestic institutions to handle questions of leadership accountability.

He stated, “We will not allow foreign courts to determine our leaders’ legacies. We will not allow foreign legal proceedings to dictate our national narrative. We will not sacrifice 250 million people on the altar of a 33-year-old case.”