A Washington lobbyist working for former Nigerian vice president Atiku Abubakar says President Bola Tinubu, special adviser Sunday Dare and their allies are furious after a reported nine million dollar campaign to win over United States President Donald Trump collapsed.
In a statement posted on X account on September 1, 2026 the firm said the planned meeting between Tinubu and Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations gathering will not take place. It added that a hoped for White House sit down is off and that any bid to lock in American backing for Tinubu ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential race has failed.
The firm alleged that the Nigerian government and its supporters had spent about $9 million on a lobbying campaign aimed at improving Tinubu’s chances of winning Trump’s support.
The company said it understands the anger directed at its founder Dr Karl Von Batten and offered mock sympathy. It argued that Nigeria spent millions and many hours trying to reshape how Washington sees Tinubu. It then accused the other side of inventing false stories about the firm and its founder after the effort fell apart. The firm described itself as only a lobbying shop and told the Federal Government of Nigeria to show dignity in defeat.
Public filings in the United States under the Foreign Agents Registration Act show the Nigerian government, through Kaduna law firm Aster Legal acting for the Office of the National Security Adviser, hired DCI Group in December 2025 on a contract valued at about nine million dollars. The first six months carried a four point five million dollar retainer, or about seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars a month, with room to renew. The stated work covered government relations and messaging on protection of Christian communities, counterterror help in West Africa and keeping American support. A later nine hundred thousand dollar deal with BGR Government Affairs was also reported. The Washington firm working for Atiku has treated that spending as a bid to win Trump personally and to help Tinubu’s next campaign.
Tinubu is scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this month, where he is expected to address world leaders. Earlier reports had raised the possibility of contact between Tinubu and Trump during the gathering, although a formal bilateral meeting had not been confirmed.
One issue that could add pressure to any potential Trump and Tinubu engagement is the renewed controversy surrounding longstanding U.S. records and allegations concerning Tinubu and an early 1990s drug investigation.
Von Batten Montague York has said it has been providing historical U.S. Department of Justice records concerning the allegations to officials in the Trump administration, members of Congress and senior congressional staff. The firm says the records concern allegations connected to drug trafficking and a 1993 civil forfeiture case.
The issue has gained fresh attention in Washington after U.S. court proceedings and a new FBI filing confirmed that Tinubu was a subject of a criminal investigation in the United States in the early 1990s. The investigation involved the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration and was connected to a wider probe into drug trafficking and money laundering. A federal judge ruled in 2025 that Justice Department records had already officially acknowledged Tinubu as one of the subjects of the criminal investigation. A sworn FBI declaration filed on August 28, 2026, has now renewed scrutiny of the records and the allegations surrounding the case.
For Trump, who has repeatedly made fighting illegal drugs and organized crime a major part of his political message, allegations involving narcotics trafficking could become a politically sensitive issue in dealings with any foreign leader.
That could help explain why a meeting between Trump and Tinubu might face resistance in Washington, although there is no public confirmation that the drug allegations were the reason Trump allegedly declined or avoided a meeting with the Nigerian president.
The lobbying firm has also alleged that the wider effort to obtain U.S. support for Tinubu’s presidential campaign had failed.
Von Batten Montague York said criticism directed at its founder and the firm was an attempt to create false stories about its activities. It argued that the Nigerian government should respond to the reported setback with dignity rather than attacking a private lobbying firm.
Von Batten Montague York said criticism directed at its founder and the firm was an attempt to create false stories about its activities. It argued that the Nigerian government should respond to the reported setback with dignity rather than attacking a private lobbying firm.
The dispute highlights the intense competition surrounding efforts by foreign governments and political figures to build relationships and influence in Washington. Lobbying firms can play a major role in arranging meetings, developing political messaging and improving access to U.S. policymakers.
The controversy now puts renewed attention on Nigeria’s relationship with the Trump administration, the reported lobbying campaign and the unresolved political questions surrounding the old U.S. drug investigation.
With Tinubu preparing to appear before world leaders at the United Nations, the possibility of a Trump meeting has become more than a diplomatic photo opportunity. It could also become a test of how the Trump administration weighs strategic relations with Nigeria against allegations and political controversies surrounding its president.
