A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has claimed that efforts by the Nigerian Presidency to secure the support of US President Donald Trump for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid have failed.
The firm made the claim in a post on its verified X account on Tuesday, alleging that Tinubu’s administration had spent millions of dollars on lobbying efforts aimed at influencing the Trump administration’s position ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Von Batten-Montague-York also claimed that Tinubu’s planned meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly would no longer take place.
The lobbying firm further alleged that some of Tinubu’s special advisers were unhappy with its founder, Dr. Von Batten, over what it described as the firm’s role in frustrating a reported $9 million lobbying campaign.
“We have learned that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, his Special Adviser, Sunday Dare and their supporters are deeply unhappy with us, particularly with our founder, Dr. Von Batten,” the firm said.
It added that the reported effort to secure Trump’s support for Tinubu had failed, insisting that the proposed White House meeting would not happen.
“You spent millions of dollars and countless hours trying to shape Washington’s perception of President Tinubu,” the firm alleged, while accusing the Nigerian government of spreading what it described as false stories about its activities.
“We are just a lobbying firm. You are the Federal Government of Nigeria. Show some dignity when you lose,” it added.
The claims by the lobbying firm have not been independently verified, and no official statement from the Nigerian Presidency or the Trump administration confirming the alleged cancellation of the meeting was included in the firm’s post.
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