Presidency Rejects Atiku-Linked Washington Lobbying Claims, Says Reports Lack Evidence

Presidency Rejects Atiku-Linked Washington Lobbying Claims, Says Reports Lack Evidence

The Presidency has dismissed recent reports emanating from Washington, D.C., linking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to alleged intelligence and legal proceedings in the United States, describing the claims as politically motivated and unsupported by credible evidence.

In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Dr. Sunday Dare, the Presidency said the reports appeared to be part of a coordinated political campaign aimed at influencing Nigeria’s 2027 electoral discourse through foreign-based lobbying and media activities.

Dare argued that the reports did not constitute any intelligence breakthrough, noting that they contained no classified intelligence document, identified Western government official or verifiable evidence linking President Tinubu to any alleged exchange involving Nigeria’s classified information or national resources.

According to him, publicly available filings under the United States Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) show that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar contracted Washington-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., under a reported $1.2 million, 12-month agreement.

He said the existence and scope of the lobbying arrangement raised questions about the political motivations behind recent publications attributed to individuals associated with the firm.

“The incendiary press releases being carefully churned out from Washington are public relations propaganda sheets passed off as the view of the U.S. Government. They are not,” Dare stated.

The presidential aide challenged those behind the allegations to produce the purported “highly classified intelligence report,” identify their sources and provide documentary evidence to substantiate the claims.

He also dismissed suggestions that President Tinubu’s current European trip was connected to ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) proceedings in the United States.

According to Dare, the President’s trip is a previously scheduled annual leave and has no connection with the U.S. court proceedings concerning historical records.

He further maintained that the ongoing FOIA litigation should be allowed to follow due process within the American judicial system, stressing that restrictions placed on certain records could relate to established legal protections for investigative techniques and confidential sources.

The statement also referenced recent public commentary by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wole Afolabi, regarding FOIA requests for historical records held by U.S. federal agencies. Dare said the legal arguments surrounding the withholding of portions of such records should not be interpreted as evidence of an attempt to shield the Nigerian President from criminal liability.

He argued that if President Tinubu had been criminally liable under U.S. law in relation to any historical investigation, the appropriate American authorities would have had the opportunity to prosecute him at the relevant time.

The Presidency further criticised what it described as an increasing reliance by opposition political actors on historical allegations and foreign-based narratives instead of presenting Nigerians with clear policy alternatives ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Dare said political competition was legitimate in a democracy but insisted that national-security and economic debates should be based on verifiable facts, institutional understanding and credible policy proposals.

He challenged opposition political groups to focus on issues directly affecting Nigerians, including economic growth, job creation, agriculture, industrialisation, infrastructure, security and social welfare.

According to him, the Tinubu administration remains focused on implementing its reform agenda, strengthening fiscal stability, improving infrastructure and pursuing institutional reforms aimed at laying the foundation for long-term economic development.

He said Nigerians would ultimately judge political parties and candidates based on their policies, performance and ability to provide credible solutions to the country’s challenges—not on allegations circulated through foreign lobbyists or politically charged media campaigns.

“True democratic validation is earned through the ballot box and tangible service delivery to the citizens at home, not through manufactured headlines bought and paid for in foreign currency,” Dare said.

He maintained that the 2027 election should be a contest of ideas, programmes and measurable achievements, rather than what he described as attempts to use foreign-based lobbying and disputed historical records to shape domestic political narratives.

Presidency Rejects Atiku-Linked Washington Lobbying Claims, Says Reports Lack Evidence