Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar signed a 12-month, $1.2 million Government Affairs and Strategic Advisory Agreement with Washington-based firm, Von Batten-Montague-York.

The contract, filed under US lobbying rules, covers strategic advice, reputational work and outreach to American officials and lawmakers.

At the centre of the arrangement is Ikemefuna Okeke, also known as Karl Von Batten, founder of the firm. Claims have circulated that he was appointed a White House Presidential Commissioner, but no official White House announcement or public government record confirming such an appointment has been produced.

The firm also alleged that Okeke was offered $3 million in London to halt advocacy against President Bola Tinubu. It said the offer came from a person linked to the President and that it rejected the money.

The claim remains unverified, as the alleged intermediary has not been publicly identified and independent evidence has not been presented.

Critics of the lobbying effort have again raised old issues surrounding Tinubu, including a past US civil asset forfeiture case involving about $460,000 and questions over his educational records.

The Presidency has described ongoing US court proceedings as a civil Freedom of Information Act dispute over records, not a criminal case against the President.

Chicago State University has previously confirmed that Tinubu attended the institution and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. The developments have intensified debate over the line between legitimate lobbying and political campaigning ahead of the 2027 elections.

Photo credit: The Will Newspaper