A United States-based lobbying firm linked to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that its founder, Dr. Karl Von Batten, was offered $3 million to halt an ongoing campaign involving historical allegations against President Bola Tinubu.
According to a statement published on the firm’s X account on Wednesday, the offer was supposedly made “a few days ago” by an unidentified, highly placed individual connected to the Nigerian leader. Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. claimed the proposal included an invitation to a confidential meeting in London intended to persuade them to drop issues concerning President Tinubu’s past.
The lobbying firm stated that Von Batten immediately rejected the proposal, preserved all communication logs with the intermediary, and contacted Atiku’s campaign team to clarify the individual’s purported ties to the President.
Following the refusal, the firm alleged that a coordinated smear campaign was launched against its founder. Consequently, the organization announced plans to forward all communication records and details of the alleged payment offer to the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for formal review.
The Presidency swiftly dismissed the allegations, characterizing them as political speculation rather than an official stance of the United States government.
Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, challenged the firm to produce documentary proof, identify its sources, and substantiate its claims of holding classified intelligence.
Dare also pushed back against descriptions of Von Batten acting on behalf of Washington, labeling his self-bestowed title as a commercial lobbyist’s linguistic maneuver.
Furthermore, the presidential aide spotlighted public filings under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which indicate that Atiku Abubakar retained Von Batten-Montague-York on a 12-month, $1.2 million contract.
Dare alleged that this financial arrangement was strategically designed to counter the Nigerian government’s narrative and weaponize historical U.S. legal documents for political leverage ahead of the 2027 general election.
Despite the fierce pushback from Abuja, the lobbying firm stood by its position, concluding its public statement with a direct message declining the proposal.
Meanwhile, the validity of the $3 million bribery claim, the identity of the alleged intermediary, and the underlying historical records remain unverified. Both political camps continue to trade accusations as the dispute deepens in the buildup to the 2027 polls.
