The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, citing concerns over an alleged drug-trafficking case involving him in the United States.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

APM said Tinubu’s reported legal move before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on August 28, 2026, seeking to block a summary judgment and prevent the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from releasing documents allegedly connected to narcotics-related investigations, raised further questions about the President’s political future.

The party alleged that the efforts by Tinubu’s lawyers to prevent the release of the documents amounted to an indication that the President was concerned about their contents and potential implications.

“The desperation exhibited by President Tinubu’s lawyers to stall the case and frustrate the release of vital evidence on the grounds that such disclosure would affect him personally is viewed by Nigerians and the global community as an admission of guilt,” the party said.

APM argued that if Tinubu’s legal team was confident that the President had no involvement in any wrongdoing, it should welcome the disclosure of the documents as an opportunity to conclusively clear his name.

The party further claimed that reliance on privacy concerns and the possible impact of the document release on Nigerian politics suggested that Tinubu was apprehensive about the consequences of the case.

It also invoked Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, arguing that questions surrounding the President’s eligibility for office should be subjected to legal scrutiny.

The party quoted Section 137(1)(d), which states that a person shall not be qualified for election as President if he “is under a sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud.”

APM also noted Nigeria’s obligations under international treaties relating to drug and narcotic control, insisting that allegations involving narcotics trafficking should not be dismissed on account of the political status of any individual.

The party said it remained confident that the U.S. court would determine the matter based on the applicable law and evidence.

“As a party, we insist that no individual, regardless of their political position, should be beyond the reach of the law, especially regarding drug-related issues of legitimate concern to the entire world,” it said.

To underscore its argument, APM cited the conviction of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández by a U.S. federal jury in Manhattan in March 2024 on drug-related charges, saying the case demonstrated that political office did not place individuals beyond the reach of the American justice system.

The party consequently urged Tinubu to abandon his bid for a second term, arguing that continued participation in the 2027 contest could expose Nigeria to political and international embarrassment.

“Nigeria deserves a president free from questions of fraud, corruption, and dishonesty. We, therefore, counsel President Tinubu to spare the nation the pain, cost, and embarrassment of this situation by stepping down from the race,” APM said.

The party also challenged other presidential aspirants to submit themselves to rigorous public scrutiny, particularly regarding their past records, as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.