The Presidency has dismissed recent reports linking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to alleged classified information and ongoing legal proceedings in the United States, describing the claims as politically motivated speculation designed to generate controversy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Dare (PhD), the Presidency alleged that the reports were part of a coordinated media campaign linked to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a Washington-based lobbying firm contracted by him.
The Presidency maintained that the reports did not constitute any intelligence breakthrough, arguing that they were largely based on publicly available legal records and statements attributed to a commercial lobbyist.
It challenged those behind the allegations to produce the purported “highly classified intelligence report”, identify the sources cited in the reports and provide documentary evidence to substantiate the claims.
According to the statement, publicly available filings under the United States Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) indicate that Atiku contracted Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., a Washington-based firm, under a $1.2 million, 12-month retainer.
The Presidency alleged that the engagement was designed to counter narratives from the Nigerian government and exploit historical legal records in the United States for political purposes ahead of the 2027 elections.
It specifically questioned statements attributed to Dr. Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten, whom it described as a commercial lobbyist and founder of the firm.
The statement said presenting the lobbyist as an authoritative geopolitical or governmental source was misleading, stressing that his views should not be interpreted as representing the position of the United States government or President Donald Trump.
“The Nigerian connection is exposed directly from the names found on the lobby documents. 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,” the statement said.
The Presidency argued that the reports contained no identifiable intelligence document, named Western official or verifiable evidence of any exchange involving Nigeria’s classified information or national resources.
It described the allegations as “political speculation packaged as classified information” and demanded evidence to support the claims.
The statement also addressed ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) proceedings in the United States concerning historical records held by American federal agencies.
According to the Presidency, the proceedings have been ongoing since 2023 and have no connection with President Tinubu’s current movements or foreign engagements.
It said the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s position in such proceedings relates primarily to statutory restrictions concerning investigative techniques, confidential sources and other protected information.
The Presidency further dismissed suggestions that President Tinubu’s current European trip was connected to the American court proceedings, maintaining that the President was on a previously scheduled annual leave.
It also rejected suggestions that the lobbyist had any influence over the American judicial process or the release of records in the FOIA case.
The statement challenged Okeke-Von Batten to approach the judge handling the proceedings if he had the influence he allegedly claimed, suggesting that any attempt to improperly interfere with an ongoing judicial process could have serious legal consequences.
The Presidency also questioned the lobbyist’s description of himself as a “Senior Government Advisor”, arguing that available records identify him primarily as a private consultant and lobbyist.
It alleged that Okeke-Von Batten, a U.S.-based consultant of Nigerian origin, has used several names, including Ikemefuna Okeke and Karl Von Batten, and founded Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C.
The statement said attempts to portray a commercial lobbyist as an independent geopolitical authority were an affront to Nigerian voters, particularly when the individual was working for a political client.
“Dr. Karl Von Batten’s comments represent solely the position of an individual associated with Atiku-linked political interests, not the U.S. government or President Trump,” it said.
The Presidency also referenced recent public commentary by Wole Afolabi, SAN, on Channels Television regarding FOIA requests for historical records held by U.S. federal agencies.
According to the statement, Afolabi explained that efforts by lawyers to withhold portions of the requested records were consistent with American laws protecting confidential investigative processes.
The Presidency said this demonstrated that the restrictions on the release of certain records should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of an attempt to protect the Nigerian President from damaging information.
It further argued that if President Tinubu had committed a criminal offence under U.S. law in connection with historical investigations, American authorities would have had the opportunity to indict and prosecute him at the relevant time.
The statement urged the American judiciary and law enforcement agencies to continue handling the proceedings in accordance with their statutory responsibilities, without political interference from Nigerian actors.
Beyond the legal issues, however, the Presidency used the controversy to question the preparedness of the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
It accused the opposition of lacking a coherent domestic policy alternative to the economic reforms being implemented by the Tinubu administration.
According to the statement, rather than developing detailed proposals on economic growth, agriculture, industrialisation and infrastructure, the opposition had allegedly resorted to controversies involving historical legal records and foreign actors.
It also criticised what it described as the opposition’s changing position on major economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies.
The Presidency argued that political parties seeking power should focus on presenting Nigerians with credible alternatives and detailed policy programmes rather than relying on foreign lobbyists and international media campaigns.
“When a political camp invests millions not into building grassroots infrastructure, agricultural masterplans, or industrial blueprints, but into hiring foreign mouthpieces to manufacture fictitious crises, they confirm their detachment from the everyday realities of ordinary Nigerians,” the statement said.
It maintained that the 2027 elections would ultimately be determined by Nigerian voters and their assessment of the competing political parties, rather than by reports emerging from Washington or disputes over decades-old legal records.
The Presidency also defended the Tinubu administration’s record, citing fiscal reforms, infrastructure development and institutional reforms as part of its efforts to reposition the Nigerian economy and strengthen national development.
It argued that while the administration’s policies could be subjected to criticism and scrutiny, political debates should be based on verifiable facts and competing policy proposals.
The statement said democratic legitimacy could only be secured through the ballot box and tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
“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,” it said.
The Presidency concluded by insisting that Nigeria’s political future could not be determined by external lobbyists or what it described as paid international publicity campaigns.
It urged political actors to focus on domestic accountability, economic planning and direct engagement with Nigerians as the country moves towards the 2027 general elections.
