Tinubu, Atiku Take 2027 Battle to Washington Over $1.2m Lobbying Deal
By Akin Alade
The political rivalry between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar appears to have entered a new phase ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Washington emerging as another battleground in the escalating struggle for political advantage.
At the centre of the latest controversy is Atiku’s reported $1.2 million lobbying agreement with Washington-based firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., alongside renewed arguments over decades-old United States records involving President Tinubu.
The development suggests that the contest for 2027 may no longer be fought only through rallies, political coalitions and media campaigns within Nigeria, as both camps exchange accusations over foreign lobbying, U.S. legal records and attempts to influence public perception.
Presidency Questions Atiku’s $1.2m U.S. Lobbying Deal
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Dr Sunday Dare, has criticised Atiku over the lobbying arrangement, alleging that the former vice president’s camp is seeking foreign validation in its political campaign against Tinubu.
According to Dare, publicly available filings under the United States Foreign Agents Registration Act indicate that Atiku engaged Von Batten-Montague-York on a 12-month retainer reportedly worth $1.2 million.
The presidential aide alleged that the campaign was designed to challenge the Nigerian government’s narrative and deploy historical U.S. records as political ammunition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Dare also cautioned Nigerians against treating statements by Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten, founder of the lobbying firm, as representing the position of the United States government.
The Presidency maintained that the renewed controversy surrounding Tinubu’s U.S. records should not be equated with evidence of a criminal conviction.
Atiku Fires Back, Demands Answers Over $460,000 Forfeiture
Atiku’s camp, however, rejected the Presidency’s argument and accused the administration of attempting to divert attention from questions surrounding the $460,000 forfeiture linked to Tinubu in a historical U.S. civil case.
Atiku argued that scrutinising the lobbyist or questioning the amount paid for lobbying would not resolve questions being raised about the available U.S. records.
His camp also turned the lobbying argument against the Presidency, alleging that the Federal Government itself had entered into a multimillion-dollar lobbying arrangement in Washington.
The former vice president’s representatives therefore questioned why his $1.2 million engagement should be portrayed as evidence of political desperation while government lobbying expenditure was treated differently.
Fresh Questions Over 2003 Letter
The controversy has been further intensified by questions surrounding a 2003 letter circulated by former presidential aide Reno Omokri, which he said showed that an FBI National Crime Information Centre records check returned no criminal arrest records or warrants against Tinubu.
Von Batten-Montague-York questioned the authenticity of the copy, pointing to spelling and grammatical errors and calling for independent verification.
Available reports indicate that U.S. authorities have not publicly authenticated the particular copy being circulated.
Importantly, a negative result from the National Crime Information Centre should not automatically be interpreted as proof that an individual had never been investigated or mentioned in records maintained by other U.S. agencies.
Likewise, the historical civil forfeiture frequently cited by Tinubu’s opponents should not be inaccurately presented as a criminal conviction.
2027 Contest Takes International Dimension
What began largely as a domestic political rivalry is increasingly developing an international dimension, with Washington lobbyists, Freedom of Information litigation and decades-old American records becoming part of Nigeria’s 2027 political conversation.
The growing controversy also raises a broader question: will the next presidential election be determined by debates over historical documents and foreign lobbying, or by competing plans for Nigeria’s economy, security, infrastructure and development?
For the Presidency, Atiku’s Washington strategy represents an attempt to internationalise domestic politics and weaken Tinubu ahead of his expected re-election battle.
For Atiku’s camp, however, engaging lobbyists and demanding the release and examination of U.S. records are legitimate efforts to obtain information it believes Nigerians deserve to know.
As both sides continue their exchanges, the political temperature surrounding the 2027 presidential race is rising long before Nigerians head to the polls.
One thing is increasingly clear: the Tinubu-Atiku political confrontation is no longer confined to Abuja. Washington has become another arena in the battle for 2027.
