A US-based lobbying firm working with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the United States should not be interpreted as an endorsement of allegations surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s past.
Von Batten-Montague-York, which has been involved in efforts to obtain US government records relating to Tinubu, made the statement in a post on its X account on Wednesday.
The Atiku’s US lobbyist said the Nigerian Presidency appeared to be interpreting Washington’s diplomatic engagement with Tinubu as evidence of special approval, arguing that the United States can maintain relations with foreign leaders while handling separate law-enforcement and strategic matters.
The firm stated that US geopolitical interests should not be confused with approval of the Nigerian president or the allegations made against him.
It further argued that diplomatic contact with Tinubu does not amount to an endorsement of claims concerning alleged drug trafficking activities.
The comments come as an ongoing Freedom of Information Act case continues in the United States over requests for historical records held by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration concerning Tinubu. American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan is pursuing the case, while Von-Batten-Montague-York has participated in efforts connected to the records.
The Atiku’s US lobbyist has also previously raised allegations involving an alleged $3 million offer from an unnamed individual it said was connected to Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress.
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According to the firm, part of a WhatsApp conversation showed the individual proposing a deal worth at least $3 million and requesting a private meeting with its principal. The identity of the person was redacted, with the firm saying it would only provide the information to US law-enforcement authorities.
The lobbying firm said the material had been preserved and submitted to the US Department of Justice. However, the alleged offer has not been independently established, and the individual involved has not been publicly identified.
Von Batten-Montague-York has also acknowledged that it has not independently verified some of the other claims it has made concerning the Nigerian Presidency and US officials.
The latest statement therefore adds another layer to the ongoing dispute involving the firm, Tinubu and efforts to obtain historical US government records.