A US lobbying firm retained by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that President Joe Biden declined to grant President Bola Tinubu an official White House meeting due to drug trafficking allegations, and is now briefing Trump administration officials and Congress members ahead of a reported Tinubu-Trump meeting request.
The battle between Nigeria’s two most prominent political rivals has officially moved to Washington — and it’s getting serious.
Von Batten-Montague-York, a US-based policy advisory and lobbying firm retained by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that the Biden White House refused requests for an official meeting with President Bola Tinubu due to longstanding drug trafficking allegations against the Nigerian leader.
The firm made the claim after briefing members of the US Congress and officials in the Trump administration, specifically targeting reports that Tinubu is currently seeking a meeting with President Donald Trump.
“The White House under President Joe Biden refused requests for President Tinubu to officially meet with then-President Biden at the White House,” the firm stated, citing the drug trafficking allegations as the reported reason.
According to Sahara Reporters,the group pointed to historical US court proceedings — specifically United States v. Funds in Account No. 263226700, et al., No. 93 C 4483 (N.D. Ill.) — in which the US Justice Department alleged that funds linked to accounts associated with Tinubu were proceeds of heroin trafficking and were subject to civil forfeiture.
The firm also referenced an ongoing FOIA lawsuit — Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, et al., Civil Action No. 1:23-cv-01816 (D.D.C.) — seeking the release of FBI, DEA and IRS records relating to the allegations.
“Our objective now is to ensure that President Trump is not placed in a compromising position and that decisions affecting U.S. foreign policy are made with full knowledge of the publicly available record,” the firm stated.
The lobbying firm acknowledged a significant intelligence gap in Washington: “One takeaway from our discussion is that many in Congress are unaware of the drug trafficking allegations.”
The firm provided no documentary evidence supporting its Biden claim, and the former Biden administration has made no public comment on the matter.
Tinubu has consistently denied all wrongdoing. Nigeria’s presidency previously dismissed related US court proceedings as containing nothing beyond what has been publicly known for over 30 years.
NEWS NOW:
