Tinubu, Trump meeting in ‘limbo’ as US lobbyist raises fresh questions

A US-based lobbying firm has alleged that the Nigerian Presidency may have “settled the Americans” ahead of a proposed meeting between President Bola Tinubu and United States President Donald Trump.

The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, made the allegation in a statement on its official X account on Monday, concerning the planned meeting between the two leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.

The firm has been involved in efforts to secure the release of US government records relating to Tinubu, including documents held by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The records are the subject of an ongoing Freedom of Information Act case in the United States, following requests by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan.

In its latest statement, the lobbying firm said it had been informed by what it described as “highly placed Nigerians” that the Nigerian Presidency was privately claiming that the FBI and DEA records would never be released.

It further alleged that the Presidency was confident Tinubu would secure a meeting with Trump because the Americans had been “settled”.

“We have been told by highly placed Nigerians that the Nigerian Presidency (@OfficialABAT) has been bragging privately that the @FBI and @DEAHQ records will never be released and that the pushed-for meeting between President Bola Tinubu and President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly will happen because they have ‘settled the Americans’,” the firm said.

The firm, however, acknowledged that it had not independently verified the allegation.

It explained that the expression “settled the Americans” was being interpreted in the Nigerian context as suggesting that something of value may have been provided to obtain a favourable outcome.

“‘Settled the Americans’ is a Nigerian expression used in this context to suggest that something of value was provided to obtain a favorable outcome,” the statement said.

The allegation comes as the Nigerian government prepares to announce a US-Nigeria minerals agreement expected to be signed during the UN General Assembly.

The lobbying firm said the timing of the proposed agreement raised questions about the appearance of a possible conflict of interest and the need to protect the integrity of US institutions.

“Against that backdrop, the Nigerian Presidency’s announcement of a U.S.-Nigeria minerals deal to be signed at the UN General Assembly raises serious questions about appearances and the need to protect U.S. integrity,” it said.

The firm also referred to what it described as an unsolicited $3 million offer allegedly made by a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) connected to President Tinubu.

It said it had no evidence linking the alleged offer to the proposed minerals agreement.

“After the unsolicited $3 million offer from a member of the @OfficialAPCNg who is connected to the Nigerian President #Tinubu, we believe these concerns cannot simply be dismissed,” the firm said.

“We have no evidence connecting that offer to the proposed minerals agreement.”

The lobbying firm said it had consequently begun informing members of the Trump administration about what it considered a potential “appearance problem” surrounding the proposed signing of the minerals agreement at the UN.

“This is why we began informing the #Trump Administration last night about the serious appearance problem such a signing at the UN could create for the United States and our President,” it said.

Von Batten-Montague-York has been at the centre of the renewed campaign for the release of historical US records relating to allegations involving Tinubu.