Washington-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York says it has begun distributing U.S. Department of Justice records relating to President Bola Tinubu’s 1993 civil forfeiture case to officials in the Trump administration and members of Congress as part of its advocacy on behalf of Atiku Abubakar.
A Washington-based lobbying firm retained by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has disclosed that it has begun providing members of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the United States Congress and senior congressional staff with documents relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decades-old U.S. civil forfeiture case.
The lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., said the documents comprise records from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) concerning the 1993 civil forfeiture proceedings involving funds linked by U.S. authorities at the time to alleged drug trafficking activities. The firm said it is circulating more than 60 pages of court filings, affidavits and related judicial records.
Lobbying firm explains move
According to the firm, the exercise forms part of its ongoing engagement with U.S. policymakers under a lobbying agreement signed with Atiku earlier this year.
The firm said many officials in Washington were unfamiliar with the historical court records and that providing the documents would enable policymakers to better understand issues it considers relevant to Nigeria-U.S. relations and governance.
The lobbying contract, reportedly valued at $1.2 million over 12 months, includes advocacy before U.S. government institutions, facilitating engagements with American officials and presenting Atiku’s positions on issues affecting Nigeria.
Background to the forfeiture case
The records relate to a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding in the United States involving approximately $460,000 held in bank accounts linked to Tinubu.
The forfeiture case was a civil proceeding, not a criminal prosecution. Court documents at the time stated there was probable cause to believe the funds were connected to alleged narcotics trafficking. Tinubu subsequently agreed to a settlement under which the funds were forfeited to the U.S. government.
Importantly, President Tinubu was not convicted of a criminal offence in the United States in connection with the matter. The proceedings concerned the forfeiture of property rather than a criminal finding of guilt.
Political significance
The development comes as political activities ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election continue to intensify.
Atiku, now the presidential candidate of the ADC, has increasingly relied on international lobbying efforts as part of his broader political strategy.
The latest disclosure follows previous statements by the same lobbying firm indicating that it intended to engage U.S. officials on issues relating to governance, insecurity, democratic accountability and Nigeria-U.S. relations.
Presidency yet to respond
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued a fresh statement responding specifically to the lobbying firm’s latest announcement.
President Tinubu has previously maintained that the decades-old forfeiture matter has been extensively litigated in both the United States and Nigeria and has consistently rejected allegations suggesting criminal wrongdoing. The issue was also raised during legal challenges to the 2023 presidential election.