US Lobbying Firm Alleges $3m Offer to Drop Campaign Tied to Tinubu's Past US Legal Records

A Washington-based policy advisory and lobbying firm working for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that its founder was offered $3 million and a secret meeting in London to abandon a campaign pressing for the release of decades-old US law enforcement records tied to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Presidency has firmly rejected the allegation, and the dispute has now spilled into a wider row over the scale of dollar-denominated lobbying both camps are running in Washington ahead of Nigeria's 2027 election.

The Allegation

The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., said in a statement posted to its X account on Wednesday, September 3, that its founder, Dr Karl-Marx Edward Von Batten, received an unsolicited $3 million offer "a few days ago" from a person the firm was told was connected to President Tinubu.

The firm said Von Batten rejected the approach, preserved copies of the communications, and reported the matter to members of Atiku's campaign before going public.It added that it intends to hand the alleged offer and related exchanges to the US Department of Justice and the FBI, and that a smear campaign against its founder began shortly after he turned the offer down.

The firm has not named the individual allegedly behind the offer, nor made the underlying communications public.

Von Batten-Montague-York's campaign centres on a 33-year-old US civil forfeiture case connected to Tinubu, and the firm was registered in March under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as working for Atiku on a 12-month, $1.2 million contract covering "democratic governance, regional stability, economic development, and U.S. engagement.

The Presidency's Response

Presidential Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, dismissed the claim, describing Von Batten as a commercial lobbyist rather than a source speaking for the US government.

Dare challenged those making the allegation to produce the "highly classified intelligence report" they had referenced, name their sources, and present documentary evidence.³ He also pointed to the FARA filing showing Atiku's own $1.2 million retainer with the firm as evidence, in his telling, that the campaign is politically motivated rather than an independent US government inquiry.

A Broader Lobbying Dispute
The $3 million allegation has become one flashpoint in a wider argument over how much each camp is spending on Washington influence operations.

According to reporting cited by aides to Atiku's running mate, the Tinubu administration engaged DCI Group on an arrangement worth $750,000 a month, totalling $4.5 million over the first six months of a contract that could reach $9 million, reportedly to help position Nigeria favourably with the Trump administration on the question of violence against Christians.

Separately, past reporting has said Tinubu's team paid US lobbyists roughly $2.7 million in an earlier period to manage his reputation in Washington.An Atiku aide, Mr Shaibu, framed the double standard sharply, arguing that Tinubu's lobbying spend is described as diplomacy while Atiku's $1.2 million contract is cast as desperation.

Both camps have exchanged similar accusations as they prepare for the 2027 presidential contest, with Atiku expected to run under the African Democratic Congress and Tinubu seeking a second term under the All Progressives Congress.

What Remains Unverified

Independent fact-checking has confirmed that Von Batten-Montague-York did make the $3 million allegation publicly, and that its FARA relationship with Atiku is real and disclosed.⁸ However, the existence of that relationship does not on its own confirm or disprove the bribery claim; it is simply relevant context given Atiku's position as Tinubu's leading political rival ahead of 2027.

As of this writing, no communications, recordings, or named individual have been produced publicly to substantiate the $3 million offer, and the matter has not been confirmed by the US Department of Justice or FBI.

This is a developing story. Updates will follow as further verified details emerge from any DOJ/FBI review or additional documentation from either side.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,

International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. ( USIP)

Mustysallama@gmail.com
+233555275880

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