Atiku’s lobbying firm sends Tinubu’s forfeiture records to US Congress

A Washington-based lobbying firm retained by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has disclosed that it has begun distributing historical United States Department of Justice (DOJ) records relating to President Bola Tinubu’s 1993 civil forfeiture case to officials in the administration of US President Donald Trump, members of the US Congress, and senior congressional staff.

The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., said the initiative forms part of a 12-month lobbying agreement reportedly worth $1.2 million, signed with Atiku in March 2026. According to the firm, its assignment includes promoting Atiku’s policy positions on governance, democracy and Nigeria–United States relations, while engaging key policymakers in Washington.

In a statement posted on its official X account, the lobbying firm said it had held meetings with officials in the Trump administration, members of Congress and senior congressional aides before distributing more than 60 pages of DOJ documents, court filings and supporting records relating to Tinubu’s decades-old civil forfeiture proceedings.

According to the firm, many US policymakers were previously unfamiliar with the historical case, prompting it to circulate the documents for what it described as informational and oversight purposes.

Among the materials distributed is a document titled “Background and Chronology of the 1993 U.S. Department of Justice Heroin-Proceeds Forfeiture Case and the 2023 FOIA Litigation Concerning Alleged Heroin Trafficking from Nigeria to the United States Involving Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

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The records relate to a 1993 civil forfeiture action filed by the US Department of Justice following an investigation into an alleged drug trafficking network that operated between Nigeria and the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Court filings referenced by the lobbying firm identify the matter as United States v. Funds in Account No. 263226700 et al., heard before the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The government alleged that funds in certain bank accounts were connected to narcotics trafficking and money laundering activities.

The documents mention President Tinubu alongside Adegboyega Mueez Akande and Abiodun Agbele, stating that investigators examined financial transactions carried out between 1988 and 1991.

According to the chronology, US investigators alleged that proceeds from a suspected narcotics trafficking organisation were deposited into bank accounts associated with Tinubu.

The matter, however, ended in a civil settlement, with approximately $460,000 forfeited to the US government.

Importantly, the proceedings were civil—not criminal—and President Tinubu was never convicted of any criminal offence in the United States in relation to the forfeiture case.

The lobbying firm also referenced the ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation initiated in 2023 by American journalist Aaron Greenspan, who sought access to records held by several US federal agencies concerning the historical investigation.

According to the chronology, a US District Court in Washington, D.C., ruled in 2025 that some federal agencies could not rely on a blanket refusal to confirm or deny the existence of responsive records and ordered them to process portions of the FOIA requests in accordance with US law. The litigation remains ongoing.

The 1993 forfeiture case also featured prominently during Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election litigation.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi argued before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that the forfeiture proceedings raised constitutional questions about Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the election.

However, the PEPC dismissed the claims, ruling that the petitioners failed to establish that Tinubu had been convicted of any criminal offence in the United States. The court further held that the forfeiture proceeding was civil in nature and that there was insufficient evidence to prove Tinubu made false declarations to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The decision was subsequently upheld through the appellate process.

The latest lobbying effort comes as political consultations ahead of the 2027 general election continue to intensify, with both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition figures expanding their domestic and international engagements.

As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency has not issued an official response to the lobbying firm’s latest disclosure.

Political analysts say the development highlights the growing use of international lobbying by Nigerian political actors. However, they note that circulating historical court documents to US officials does not amount to a new criminal investigation, indictment or judicial ruling against President Tinubu.

Atiku’s lobbying firm sends Tinubu’s forfeiture records to US Congress

2027: North-Central group backs Tinubu for second term, says re-election ‘done deal’

A political advocacy group, the North Central Agenda (NCA), has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office ahead of the 2027 presidential election, declaring that his re-election in the North-Central geopolitical zone is already a “done deal” based on what it described as the administration’s achievements in infrastructure, security, education and economic development.

The endorsement was announced during a one-day conference on the development of the North-Central under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, attended by delegates from Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alongside government officials, political stakeholders and supporters of the administration.

Speaking at the event in Abuja, the Convener of the North Central Agenda, Dr. Ene Lilian Ogbole, said the Tinubu administration has reversed years of neglect by implementing projects and policies aimed at transforming the region.

According to her, before President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, the North-Central was grappling with deteriorating infrastructure, worsening insecurity and declining economic opportunities. She, however, said the administration has demonstrated the political will to address those challenges through targeted investments and reforms.

Ogbole highlighted several ongoing federal infrastructure projects across the region, including the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Kogi–Nasarawa–Abuja Super Highway, the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri Highway, the Suleja–Minna Dual Carriageway, the Lokoja–Okene Dualisation Project, and the Makurdi–Aliade–Otukpo Road.

She said the projects are expected to improve connectivity, facilitate trade, reduce transportation costs and stimulate economic activities across the North-Central and other parts of the country.

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The NCA convener also commended the Federal Government’s interventions in the education sector, particularly increased funding through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the implementation of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides financial support for eligible students in tertiary institutions.

She further praised the administration’s security efforts, saying intensified military operations against banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities have enabled many farmers to return to their farmlands while businesses gradually resume operations in previously affected communities.

Describing the North-Central as a strategic political bloc, Ogbole said the equitable spread of federal projects across the region has changed public perception of the Tinubu administration.

She pledged that the organisation would embark on extensive mobilisation campaigns across the six North-Central states and the FCT ahead of the 2027 elections.

“For us as the mouthpiece of the North Central people, this re-election is a done deal as we will stop at nothing within the confines of the law to ensure that his victory is secured,” she said.

Representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the conference, his Senior Assistant (Technical), Prof. Babatunde Bolaji Benard, said President Tinubu is laying the foundation for Nigeria’s long-term economic growth through bold reforms and strategic infrastructure investments.

He acknowledged that some of the administration’s economic policies may take time to produce visible results but argued that they are necessary for sustainable national development.

Benard described the NELFUND Student Loan Scheme as one of the government’s landmark achievements, noting that it has expanded access to higher education for many Nigerian students.

He also highlighted the economic importance of the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, explaining that the project will include 32 dams to support irrigation, agriculture, water supply and industrial development.

According to him, such infrastructure projects are designed not only to improve transportation but also to unlock long-term economic opportunities and create jobs.

In his goodwill message, APC chieftain from Benue State, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, commended President Tinubu for strengthening security in the state, supporting development projects and working closely with Governor Hyacinth Alia.

He expressed confidence that the President would enjoy overwhelming support in Benue State during the 2027 election.

Meanwhile, supporters of President Tinubu dismissed renewed criticism of the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket by former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who recently argued that the issue would remain relevant in the next presidential election.

Responding to the comments, the Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), Dr. Umar Tanko Yakasai, said Nigerians had already settled the issue during the 2023 general election by electing Tinubu as President.

Yakasai maintained that the administration has demonstrated inclusiveness through appointments across different geopolitical zones, ethnic groups and religious backgrounds.

He cited appointments involving North-Central indigenes and other regions as evidence of balanced representation, dismissing claims that the administration has concentrated key positions in any particular part of the country.

The endorsement comes amid increasing political consultations and alignments ahead of the 2027 general election, with various political groups and stakeholders beginning to declare their positions well before party primaries.

Although President Tinubu has not formally declared his intention to seek re-election, endorsements from support groups have continued to gather momentum as political activities gradually intensify across the country.

Political analysts, however, note that while endorsements by advocacy groups may influence public discourse, the outcome of the 2027 presidential election will ultimately depend on party primaries, campaign issues, voter participation and the electorate’s assessment of the administration’s performance.

2027: North-Central group backs Tinubu for second term, says re-election ‘done deal’

2027: We Have Written Agreement Obi Will Serve Only One Term — Kwankwaso

• NDC vice-presidential candidate confirms power-sharing pact with Peter Obi, says presidency will return to North in 2031

LAGOS, Nigeria – The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has confirmed that he and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, signed a written agreement committing Obi to serve only one four-year term if elected president in 2027.

Kwankwaso disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, where he responded to questions about Obi’s repeated pledge to spend only one term in office. According to him, the agreement provides that power will return to the North after a single four-year tenure of Obi. On whether he believed Obi would honour the agreement, the former Kano State governor said he had no reason to doubt the former Anambra State governor. “Oh yes, I personally believe him and I don’t think, based on what I now know about him, he will change his mind when the time comes, and we are all gentlemen, even though we have accepted to put it on paper.”

While reiterating that the agreement signed by both of them was sacrosanct, Kwankwaso also said they equally signed a separate agreement with the party on the issue. “We have done one for the party, and we have done another one between the two of us.” Explaining the contents of the agreement, he said: “The agreement is what you said, that after four years we will work together, team together as a group, as a party, as friends, brothers and so on so that after his term, or our term, of four years, 2027 to 2031, then it comes back to the North, and that is the general agreement.”

On why he accepted the vice-presidential slot, despite previously pursuing the presidency, Kwankwaso said the current political circumstances supported a four-year southern presidency before power returns to the North. “Together we felt that the presidency should go to the South for four years; thereafter it will come back to the North. We believe that should be the consensus of everybody in this country, so we can move together as a family, both North and South.” When asked if he planned to contest the presidency in 2031, Kwankwaso said the party was focused on its immediate objective while keeping future plans in view. “We have a short-term plan which we are executing now and, of course, we also have our medium- and long-term plans for the country, and that is what we are working on now.”

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The NDC vice-presidential candidate also revealed that before the 2023 elections, representatives of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) constituted a joint committee to examine the manifestos and political direction of both parties. He said the committee concluded that both leaders shared similar visions for Nigeria and recommended closer collaboration after the election. “When we compared our blueprint, mine and his, we realised that we have a similar vision and mission for the country. That was why it was very easy for us to agree to work together as a family.” Kwankwaso said the proposed alliance would prioritise tackling insecurity, reviving the economy, rebuilding infrastructure, and improving education, describing insecurity as Nigeria’s most pressing challenge. “Our first priority is insecurity. We also have to address the economy, infrastructure, and education because no country can develop without providing quality education for its citizens.”

Kwankwaso also shared that his assessment of Obi had changed since the 2023 elections, noting that he now considers the former Anambra governor a dependable leader. “I now know that Peter is a very serious politician; he has this country in mind. He is someone to be relied on,” Kwankwaso said.

Recall that Peter Obi had repeatedly declared he would serve only one term of four years if elected president in 2027. “I want to be a one-term president because of stability. I would not stay a day, with a gun to my head, longer than four years,” Obi had said. Obi has noted that his one-term pledge is rooted in his commitment to the country’s zoning principle rather than a desire to remain in office for the constitutionally permitted two terms. His declaration had drawn criticism from opposition political parties, which argued that the NDC presidential candidate would not keep his promise if elected president in 2027. However, with Kwankwaso’s latest confirmation, the one-term commitment is now formally documented as part of a written political agreement between the NDC leadership and its presidential and vice-presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.

2027: We Have Written Agreement Obi Will Serve Only One Term — Kwankwaso