By George Omagbemi Sylvester
A Washington-based lobbying firm retained by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar says it has begun distributing documents relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 1993 United States civil forfeiture case to officials in the Donald Trump administration, members of the U.S. Congress, and senior congressional staff. The development forms part of the firm’s advocacy efforts under a 12-month lobbying agreement signed with Atiku earlier this year.
The lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., disclosed that it has circulated more than 60 pages of U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) records, court filings, supporting affidavits and related legal documents concerning the historical forfeiture proceedings. According to the firm, the documents were shared after engagements with U.S. government officials, some of whom it claimed were previously unfamiliar with the decades-old case.
The firm stated that the objective is to ensure American policymakers have access to the historical records as discussions on Nigeria–United States relations continue.
The case stems from a 1993 U.S. civil forfeiture in which $460,000 linked to bank accounts associated with Tinubu was forfeited to the U.S. government.
The proceedings were civil in nature and did not result in a criminal conviction against the Nigerian president.
Tinubu has consistently denied involvement in drug trafficking, while Nigerian courts, including the Supreme Court during the 2023 presidential election litigation, held that the forfeiture did not amount to a criminal conviction.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian Presidency nor the U.S. Department of Justice had issued any official response to the lobbying firm’s latest disclosure.
The development is expected to generate renewed political debate as preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections gather momentum.
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