US Lobbying Firm Alleges Confidential London Meeting Was Proposed
Dr. Von Batten-Montague-York has alleged that individuals linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu offered him $3 million to abandon efforts to obtain US law-enforcement records relating to the Nigerian president.
The claim was made by the United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, which has been involved in efforts to obtain records connected to the Tinubu investigation controversy.
Firm Says Offer Came With London Meeting
According to the firm, the alleged offer included $3 million and an invitation to a confidential meeting in London.
Von Batten-Montague-York said it rejected the offer and intends to report the allegation to relevant US authorities.
The firm made the allegation publicly in a post on X.
Allegation Has Not Been Independently Established
The $3 million offer remains an allegation by the firm and has not been independently established as fact.
Reports have also noted that Von Batten-Montague-York is not a neutral party in the wider dispute. The firm has disclosed lobbying work connected to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, including a contract to counterbalance Nigerian government messaging in Washington.
That background is relevant when assessing the allegation and the broader political dispute surrounding the release of US records.
Tinubu Records Dispute Continues
The allegation comes amid an ongoing legal and political battle over access to US law-enforcement records relating to Tinubu.
The controversy has intensified following the FBI’s confirmation that Tinubu was a subject of a criminal investigation in the early 1990s, while stressing that such a disclosure does not establish that he committed an offence.
What We Know
- Von Batten-Montague-York alleges that it was offered $3 million.
- The firm says the offer was intended to end its campaign for the release of records.
- It says a confidential meeting in London was also proposed.
- The allegation has not been independently proven.
What Remains Unclear
- Who allegedly made the offer.
- Whether any payment was actually offered or transferred.
- Whether US authorities will investigate the allegation.