FACT-CHECK: Did Tinubu Administration Offer US Lobbyists $3m to Stop Campaign Against President?
BY: Oluwatoyin Hawal Momolosho
Claim:
An X user claimed that the Tinubu administration attempted to bribe US lobbyist Karl Von Batten with $3 million to stop his campaign concerning US records linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Verdict:
Unproven.
Full Text
An X user, @IU_Wakilii, claimed that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attempted to bribe US lobbyist Karl Von Batten with $3 million to stop his campaign concerning historical US records linked to the Nigerian president.
The firm had alleged that its founder, Dr Karl Von Batten, received an unsolicited offer of $3 million and an invitation to a confidential meeting in London from an individual it was informed was connected to President Tinubu.
According to the firm, Von Batten rejected the offer, preserved the communications and planned to submit them to the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
But does the available evidence establish that the offer came from the Tinubu administration?
Verification:
Findings by FactCheckAfrica show that the claim that the Tinubu administration offered Von Batten $3 million is not independently verified. The $3 million allegation originated from Von Batten-Montague-York itself.
In a statement published on its X account, the firm said:
The firm further stated that Von Batten rejected the offer and immediately preserved copies of the exchanges.
However, the statement does not publicly identify the alleged individual or provide documentary evidence establishing that the person was acting on behalf of President Tinubu or his administration.
As of the time of filing this report, FactCheckAfrica could not independently verify the alleged offer, the identity of the person behind it or the person’s connection to the Nigerian government.
Therefore, the allegation that the Tinubu administration offered the money remains unsubstantiated.
What does the Presidency say?
The Presidency has rejected the allegation. Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, described the claims attributed to Von Batten as political speculation and challenged those making the allegation to provide documentary evidence.
Dare also disputed the suggestion that Von Batten was speaking on behalf of the US government, describing him as a commercial lobbyist rather than a US government official.
The Presidency further questioned the relationship between Von Batten-Montague-York and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Is Von Batten linked to Atiku?
Yes. Available US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) records show that Von Batten-Montague-York has a professional relationship with Atiku Abubakar.
The firm was reportedly engaged under a 12-month agreement worth $1.2 million. This relationship does not prove that the $3 million allegation is false. However, it is relevant when assessing the claim because Atiku is a major political opponent of President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Consequently, claims made by the firm concerning Tinubu require independent corroboration before they can be presented as established facts.
Is there a US records case involving Tinubu?
Yes. FactCheckAfrica found that there is an ongoing US legal dispute concerning historical law-enforcement records relating to Tinubu.
The records are connected to US investigations dating back to the 1990s, and litigation has taken place over requests for the release of FBI and other government records. The existence of this litigation is independently verifiable.
However, the existence of law-enforcement records or an investigation does not by itself establish criminal guilt.
Did the US records prove Tinubu was involved in heroin trafficking?
No file reviewed by FactCheckAfrica establishes this. The existence of an investigation involving a person should not be interpreted as proof that the person committed the offence under investigation.
Similarly, the US court proceedings concerning the records do not amount to a criminal conviction against President Tinubu. Therefore, claims that the US records have “proved” that Tinubu is a heroin trafficker are not supported by the evidence reviewed.
Conclusion:
Findings by FactCheckAfrica show that Von Batten-Montague-York did allege that its founder was offered $3 million to stop its campaign concerning records linked to President Bola Tinubu.
However, there is no available record to independently establish that the alleged offer was made by the Tinubu administration or by anyone authorised to act on its behalf.
The firm’s claim that it preserved communications relating to the alleged offer is also yet to be independently verified through publicly available evidence.
FactCheckAfrica also found that the lobbying firm has a documented professional relationship with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, a political opponent of President Tinubu. This does not invalidate its allegation but provides important context for assessing the claim.
Meanwhile, the US legal proceedings concerning historical records linked to Tinubu are genuine. However, those proceedings do not establish that Tinubu was convicted of heroin trafficking. The claim that the Tinubu administration offered Karl Von Batten $3 million to stop his campaign is therefore unproven.
