The Presidency has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of using a $1.2 million lobbying contract with a Washington-based firm to advance his political interests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made the allegation in a statement titled, “Peddling Political Speculation as Classified Information: Atiku’s $1.2 million Washington Lobbying Gamble Exposed.”
Dare alleged that media reports emanating from the Washington lobbying firm were part of a coordinated campaign designed to create the impression that political claims about President Bola Tinubu were based on classified United States intelligence.
He dismissed the reports as political speculation, arguing that they contained no intelligence documents, named Western officials or evidence of any exchange involving Nigeria’s secrets or resources.
“The report presents no intelligence document, no named Western official, and no evidence of any exchange involving Nigeria’s secrets or resources. It is nothing more than political speculation packaged as classified information,” Dare said.
He challenged those behind the reports to produce the alleged classified intelligence report, identify their unnamed sources and provide evidence to support the allegations.
According to the presidential aide, publicly available US Department of Justice filings under the Foreign Agents Registration Act show that Atiku contracted Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., a Washington-based firm, on a $1.2 million, 12-month retainer.
Dare claimed that the engagement was intended to counter the narrative of the Nigerian government and exploit historical US legal records for political purposes ahead of the 2027 election.
He also questioned the credibility of Dr Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten, whom he described as a commercial lobbyist and founder of the firm.
Dare said Okeke-Von Batten’s description of himself as a “Senior Government Advisor” should not be interpreted as evidence of any official position within the US government or the Trump administration.
“Dr Karl Von Batten’s comments represent solely the position of an individual associated with Atiku-linked political interests, not the US government or President Trump,” he said.
The presidential aide further rejected suggestions that Okeke-Von Batten had any influence over ongoing proceedings involving requests for the release of historical records held by US federal agencies.
He said the US court proceedings were unrelated to President Tinubu’s activities, stressing that the case had been ongoing since 2023 and that the FBI’s concerns centred on protecting investigative techniques and confidential sources.
Dare also dismissed any connection between Tinubu’s current European trip and the ongoing US Freedom of Information Act proceedings, saying the President was on a previously scheduled annual leave.
He cited comments by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wole Afolabi, during an appearance on Channels Television, arguing that the withholding of portions of records by US authorities was consistent with American laws protecting confidential investigative processes.
According to Dare, Afolabi had also explained that if Tinubu had been criminally liable under US law during earlier investigations, American authorities would have prosecuted him at the time.
The Presidency accused Atiku and other opposition figures of relying on historical legal records and foreign lobbying rather than presenting Nigerians with a coherent policy alternative ahead of the 2027 election.
Dare argued that the opposition had failed to offer credible economic blueprints or structural alternatives to the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda, including its policies on fuel subsidy removal and macroeconomic stabilisation.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration was focused on fiscal reforms, infrastructure development and security reforms, which he said should form the basis for assessing the government.
According to him, political legitimacy would ultimately be determined by Nigerian voters rather than foreign lobbyists or media campaigns emanating from Washington.
“True democratic validation is earned through the ballot box and tangible service delivery to the citizens at home, not through manufactured headlines bought and paid for in foreign currency,” Dare said.
He urged the US judiciary and law enforcement agencies to continue handling the FOIA proceedings in accordance with their statutory responsibilities, without partisan interference.
Dare said Nigerians would ultimately judge political parties and candidates based on their domestic performance, policy proposals and ability to address the country’s challenges.
He concluded that attempts to influence Nigeria’s political debate through foreign lobbyists and paid media campaigns would not substitute for grassroots support or a credible programme for governance.