By Paul Joseph
A Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm engaged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that its founder was offered $3 million to abandon an advocacy campaign seeking the release of records concerning allegations linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s past.
Von Batten-Montague-York made the claim in a statement published on X on Wednesday, saying its founder, Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten, recently received an unsolicited $3 million proposal alongside an invitation to a confidential meeting in London.
The firm alleged that the person who made the approach was a highly placed individual believed to have connections to President Tinubu.
According to the lobbying company, the alleged payment was offered in an attempt to persuade its founder to end the campaign for the release of records it described as relating to allegations of heroin trafficking involving Tinubu.
The firm claimed that its founder rejected the proposal and that a smear campaign was subsequently launched against him in an effort to discredit his reputation and weaken the advocacy campaign.
Von Batten-Montague-York said it planned to forward the alleged offer, together with related communications, to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for examination.
“We have a simple message for President Bola Tinubu, the APC, and their associates: Thank you for the offer, but no thanks,” the firm stated.
The allegation comes amid increased lobbying activities in Washington involving Nigerian political interests as the country moves closer to the 2027 general elections.
The report also highlighted previous lobbying engagements involving the Nigerian government and political actors. The Tinubu administration was reported to have engaged U.S. lobbying firm DCI Group under a contract valued at about $9 million, while Atiku was said to have retained Von Batten-Montague-York for 12 months at a reported cost of $1.2 million.
However, the alleged $3 million inducement has not been independently established. The claim remains an allegation by the lobbying firm and would require confirmation from the individuals or organisations implicated, as well as any relevant U.S. authorities.
The development is likely to attract further attention as political camps intensify their advocacy and public relations activities in the United States ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
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