A US lobbying firm has pushed back against claims that its handling of President Bola Tinubu’s old drug-related case is part of a political campaign against him.
According to Daily Post, Von Batten-Montague-York has been sharing documents linked to a 1993 US civil forfeiture case with officials in the Donald Trump administration and members of Congress. The firm works with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The case dates back to an investigation into alleged heroin trafficking between Nigeria and the United States in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
More than 60 pages of US Department of Justice documents are reportedly part of the materials being circulated. They include court filings, affidavits and decisions linked to the case.
The firm said it wants US officials to have access to the records. It also said the documents should be considered for information and oversight purposes.
The development has revived an issue that has followed Tinubu for years. The matter also featured during the legal battle over the 2023 presidential election.
At the time, Tinubu’s opponents relied on the US forfeiture case in their arguments against his eligibility. However, the Presidential Election Petition Court did not find that the case amounted to a criminal conviction.
The forfeiture proceeding involved about $460,000. US authorities had linked the funds to proceeds from an alleged drug trafficking investigation. Tinubu has not been convicted of drug trafficking in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, the lobbying firm has continued to draw attention to the records in Washington. It said some US officials were previously unaware of the details contained in the documents.
The firm’s involvement has also raised political questions because Atiku hired it under a government affairs and strategic advisory agreement. The engagement covers outreach to US officials and lawmakers.
For now, the renewed focus remains largely political. No new criminal conviction against Tinubu has emerged from the release of the documents.
The development is likely to keep the old case in the spotlight as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general election.
