According to a report by Daily Post on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, a United States-based lobbying firm linked to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said it plans to engage US President Donald Trump next week as part of its campaign concerning Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the country’s 2027 presidential election.
The development comes amid growing political activity in Washington ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 election, with political camps seeking to shape international perceptions of the major contenders.
The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has in recent weeks made a series of public statements concerning Tinubu and his relationship with the United States. The firm is led by Karl Von Batten and has been retained by Atiku under a reported $1.2 million, 12-month lobbying agreement registered under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The firm’s latest position follows its earlier claim that an anticipated meeting between Tinubu and Trump on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly would not take place.
According to reports published on Tuesday, the lobbying firm said it would instead engage Trump the following week over issues concerning Tinubu and the 2027 election. The precise nature and format of the proposed engagement were not independently confirmed by the White House.
The development has added another dimension to the increasingly internationalised political contest ahead of Nigeria’s next presidential election.
Tinubu was initially expected to attend the UN General Assembly in New York. However, the Presidency subsequently announced that Vice-President Kashim Shettima would lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st session of the UNGA.
Shettima is expected to represent Nigeria during the high-level meetings and deliver the country’s national statement, while also holding bilateral engagements with foreign leaders, international organisations and development partners.
The change in Tinubu’s travel plans has generated political debate in Nigeria, particularly because it came amid reports and speculation about a possible interaction between the Nigerian president and Trump.
Earlier this month, Von Batten-Montague-York also attracted attention after Trump appointed Karl Von Batten to a White House presidential commission. Legit.ng reported that the appointment was viewed by the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum as significant because of the firm’s existing relationship with Atiku. However, the organisation also acknowledged that there was no evidence linking the Trump appointment to Von Batten’s work for the former vice-president.
The firm has also been involved in a broader dispute with the Nigerian Presidency over allegations relating to Tinubu’s historical dealings in the United States.
Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare has previously criticised Von Batten’s public interventions, describing him as a commercial lobbyist rather than a representative of the US government or Trump. The Presidency has also questioned the firm’s relationship with Atiku and its political activities ahead of the 2027 election.
The lobbying firm, however, has continued to raise issues concerning Tinubu’s past US legal records and has said it has shared documents with officials in Washington.
In September, the firm also alleged that an individual it believed was connected to Tinubu offered Von Batten $3 million to halt its campaign against the Nigerian president. The allegation was denied and could not be independently verified.
The latest reported plan to engage Trump therefore comes against the backdrop of an increasingly active Washington component to Nigeria’s 2027 political contest.
Atiku, who left the Peoples Democratic Party and became the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate in 2026, is expected to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. The wider opposition field also includes other prominent political figures.
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