Atiku-Linked US Lobbyists Claim Tinubu Intervened in Fight Over US Records

A Washington-based lobbying firm engaged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has released fresh details on the ongoing legal battle over the release of United States government records relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., claimed that Tinubu personally intervened in the federal court proceedings to oppose the disclosure of records concerning him.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the lobbyists said they had reviewed documents supplied by the United States government in the long-running Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation.

According to the firm, Tinubu and his associates had argued that the records were being withheld because the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were seeking to protect investigative methods and the lives of individuals connected to the matter.

The lobbying firm disputed that explanation, citing a motion it said Tinubu filed in the case on October 23, 2023.

Tinubu’s Alleged Intervention

The firm claimed that Tinubu’s motion argued that the records contained private financial and law-enforcement information and that their release should be subject to privacy protections under the FOIA.

It further alleged that Tinubu argued that the DOJ, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were not adequately protecting his privacy interests in relation to the records.

According to the lobbyists, Tinubu subsequently requested 30 days to consult with the federal agencies regarding documents they intended to produce and make public.

The firm said the court granted his request to intervene in the case on November 27, 2023.

The lobbyists described the intervention as a significant development in the litigation, claiming that the administration of former US President Joe Biden subsequently moved from delaying disclosure of the records to opposing their release.

No Independent Finding Linking Intervention to Disclosure Block

However, the firm did not provide an independent court finding establishing that Tinubu’s intervention directly caused the alleged blocking of the records.

The development is the latest chapter in the protracted legal battle involving requests for US government records concerning Tinubu.

The dispute has attracted significant political attention in Nigeria, particularly because of its links to the political activities of Atiku, who is preparing for the 2027 presidential contest.

The latest claims by the lobbyists are based on their interpretation of documents and proceedings in the US case and have not, by themselves, established that Tinubu committed any wrongdoing.

The litigation continues to focus on whether and to what extent the US government should release records requested under the Freedom of Information Act.