Atiku Reignites Fire: Tinubu Pressed on US Forfeiture & Lobbying Deals

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has vehemently challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to directly address substantive questions stemming from documented American records. This challenge, conveyed through a statement issued by Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, criticizes the Presidency for resorting to personal attacks and political distractions, particularly concerning American lobbyist Karl Von Batten.

Shaibu accused the Presidency of attempting to divert public attention from critical records involving Von Batten by scrutinizing his marriage, ancestry, names, and business history. He rhetorically questioned, "At this rate, perhaps the next response from the Presidency will tell Nigerians the colour of Karl Von Batten’s socks and what he eats for breakfast. But after all the mockery, genealogy and amateur detective work, the documents will still be there."

Highlighting transparency, Shaibu stated that Atiku’s $1.2 million engagement with Von Batten-Montague-York was voluntarily registered with the United States Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The filing, he noted, clearly outlined the nature, duration, and compensation of the engagement. Shaibu emphasized that publicly disclosed information cannot be "exposed," urging President Tinubu to address the core issues raised by these American records rather than "chasing the messenger."

Atiku’s aide directly questioned why President Tinubu’s name was linked to a historical United States federal narcotics and money-laundering investigation and why a US District Court entered a decree forfeiting $460,000 held in an account in Tinubu’s name. Shaibu asserted, "These are not documents written by Atiku Abubakar. They were not manufactured by Karl Von Batten. They form part of an American judicial record."

While stressing the importance of precision, Shaibu clarified that Atiku's camp was not characterizing the civil forfeiture as a criminal conviction, stating, "Let us also be precise. A civil forfeiture is not a criminal conviction, and we have never said otherwise. But President Tinubu cannot abuse, mock or distract a court record out of existence."

Shaibu further accused the Tinubu administration of striking a posture of hypocrisy over its criticism of Atiku’s lobbying expenditure. He alleged that the federal government entered into an arrangement with DCI Group worth $750,000 monthly, potentially amounting to $4.5 million for the first six months, with provisions that could extend the engagement to $9 million. This arrangement, according to Shaibu, was conducted through Aster Legal in connection with a senior federal security institution.

Shaibu contrasted the two situations, stating, "So, President Tinubu, let us understand your new morality. When you spend millions lobbying Washington, it is diplomacy. When Atiku spends $1.2 million over an entire year, it becomes desperation. What magnificent hypocrisy." He challenged the administration: "If Atiku’s $1.2 million is evidence of desperation, what exactly should Nigerians call your own arrangement capable of reaching $9 million? National distress?" He reiterated that Washington is open to both parties for lobbying.

The statement also shifted focus to Nigeria’s pressing economic challenges, with Shaibu noting that Nigerians are primarily concerned about rising food and transportation costs, electricity bills, insecurity, and declining purchasing power. He articulated that citizens "cannot eat presidential press releases," fuel their cars with insults, or pay school fees with investigations into another person’s family tree.

Shaibu challenged President Tinubu to engage Atiku in a debate on critical issues such as food prices, transport fares, electricity, insecurity, and the purchasing power of Nigerian families. He concluded by urging the President to first account for his administration's alleged $9 million lobbying arrangement before criticizing Atiku’s $1.2 million engagement, and to answer the $460,000 question before attacking the messenger, dismissing the rest as "noise." The statement ended with Atiku’s campaign message: "Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. Atiku will make Nigeria affordable again."