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By Chinelo Obogo
Susie Wiles, new Chief of Staff to US President-elect, Donald Trump, was a lobbyist for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019, records have shown.
Wiles, the co-chair of Mercury Public Affairs, one of the largest lobbying firms in the US, was announced as Trump’s new chief of staff shortly after he emerged winner of the just concluded US presidential election. A partner with Ballard Partners,
Wiles is a powerful lobbyist and operator, who has spent a career in Republican establishment politics, from stints with Jack Kemp and Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential bid, Wiles was the behind-the-scenes manager of Trump’s successful campaign.
In the Foreign Agents Registration form filed on January 1, 2019 seen by Daily Sun, Wiles indicated that she is a lobbyist and partner with Ballard Partners. In the form where the provision to list every foreign principal to whom services would be rendered was made, she listed the Peoples Democratic Party as her client and the services she was to render was, ‘To provide support for the PDP regarding their relations with the US government officials, US business entities and non governmental audiences.’ The service was to be on a part time basis and the registration form expired on May 3, 2020.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who was the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 election, had prior to that time, been unable to visit the U.S. since he left office in 2007.
Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, had accused Abubakar of fraud while in office, and he was also linked to corruption charges filed in the U.S. But the former Vice President politician denied all allegations of wrongdoing. However, for over 12 years since the end of his tenure as VP, he was unable to visit the U.S as American authorities had declined to issue him an entry visa.
However, he was eventually able to visit Washington in January 2019 (around the same time the PDP contracted Ballad Partners to provide lobbying services), to meet with top U.S. diplomats and lawmakers following a temporary suspension of the travel ban imposed on him and it is believed the reprieve may have been connected to the lobbying efforts of Wiles’ Ballard Partners. He also visited the US prior to the 2023 presidential election as the candidate of the PDP.
