Von Batten Montague York, L.C. says it has been engaging with senior members of the Donald Trump administration and Congress over what it described as concerns about President Bola Tinubu and Nigeria’s upcoming presidential election.
In a statement posted on X on August 31, the group said its message to US officials had been clear, describing Tinubu’s alleged heroin trafficking as a liability to the United States and to the peace and stability of Nigeria and the wider region.
The group contrasted Tinubu with former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing Abubakar as a statesman. It said that, unlike Tinubu, there is no US government document in which Abubakar is accused of drug trafficking or any other crime.
Von Batten Montague York also praised Nigerians for what it described as their strong religious and family values, saying Nigerians are God fearing people who value life and family. The group said Abubakar embodies those values.
The statement also criticized the foreign policy record of the Joe Biden administration, arguing that the United States cannot afford to repeat what it called mistakes that contributed to coups in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
Nigeria, the group said, is simply too important for the United States to ignore.
It called on the United States to do everything possible to ensure that President Tinubu cannot rig the upcoming presidential election, stressing that Nigerians deserve a free and fair election.
The statement concluded with a message of optimism about Nigeria’s political future: Hope is coming to Nigeria.
