Explain Tinubu’s $460,000 forfeiture, don’t attack my lobbyist – Atiku to presidency

Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the circumstances surrounding a $460,000 forfeiture recorded in the United States rather than focus on the lobbyist representing his interests in Washington.

Atiku made the demand through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in a statement issued on Wednesday in response to comments by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare.

Dare had criticised Atiku’s decision to engage the US lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York and warned against portraying its managing partner, Karl Von Batten, as someone with direct access to US President Donald Trump or the ability to influence ongoing court proceedings.

Shaibu, however, accused the Presidency of diverting attention from the issues raised by US judicial records by questioning the background and activities of Atiku’s lobbyist.

Atiku engaged the lobbying firm in March under a $1.2 million contract aimed at protecting and strengthening his reputation in the United States.

Documents filed by the firm with the US Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act showed that part of its mandate was to counter narratives being advanced by the Nigerian government in the United States.

The firm also disclosed in July that it had started presenting US Department of Justice records concerning allegations of drug trafficking involving Tinubu to members of the Trump administration, Congress and senior congressional staff.

Shaibu maintained that Atiku’s relationship with the lobbying firm was properly registered with the US Department of Justice and therefore was not a covert attempt to influence the US government.

He challenged Tinubu to explain why his name appeared in historical US federal records relating to narcotics and money laundering, as well as the circumstances surrounding a US District Court decree forfeiting $460,000 held in an account in his name.

“These are not documents written by Atiku Abubakar. They were not manufactured by Karl Von Batten. They form part of an American judicial record,” Shaibu said.

He acknowledged that civil forfeiture does not amount to a criminal conviction but argued that the existence of the judicial record remained a legitimate matter for public explanation.

Shaibu also accused the Tinubu administration of double standards over its criticism of Atiku’s $1.2 million lobbying agreement.

He alleged that the Federal Government had separately engaged DCI Group in a deal worth $750,000 monthly, which he said amounted to $4.5 million for the first six months and could potentially reach $9 million.

According to him, both Tinubu and Atiku have the right to hire lobbyists, questioning why the ADC presidential candidate’s engagement was being portrayed as an act of desperation.

Shaibu argued that the focus should instead be on the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians, including rising food and transportation costs, electricity expenses, insecurity and declining purchasing power.

He challenged the President to explain the alleged multimillion-dollar lobbying arrangement before criticising Atiku’s decision to hire a US lobbying firm.

“President Tinubu, before counting Atiku’s $1.2 million, account for your own $9 million arrangement. And before attacking the messenger, answer the $460,000 question,” Shaibu said.