RismadarVoice Reporters
September 24, 2026
A United States-based lobbying firm has warned against any attempt to manipulate Nigeria’s 2027 general election, saying free and fair polls are important to American interests in Nigeria and the wider region.
Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., asserted in a statement published on its verified X account on Thursday, specifically directing its warning at President Bola Tinubu.
“The US cannot afford to allow President Tinubu to rig the upcoming Nigerian election,” the firm stated.
It added that free and fair elections in Nigeria were “essential to protecting US interests in Nigeria and the broader region.”
The comments represent the position of Von Batten-Montague-York and should not be interpreted as an official declaration by the United States government.
The Washington-based firm is currently retained by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under a $1.2 million lobbying and strategic advisory agreement registered with the US Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Documents relating to the agreement indicate that part of the firm’s assignment is to strengthen Atiku’s standing among US policymakers and counter narratives associated with the Nigerian government.
Von Batten-Montague-York has previously issued statements criticising the Tinubu administration and raising concerns about Nigeria’s political environment and electoral integrity.
The Presidency has rejected previous statements from the firm, maintaining that the organisation is a private lobbying company representing Atiku and does not speak for the United States government.
Presidential adviser Sunday Dare had previously described releases from the firm as public relations material being presented as though they represented the position of the US government.
The firm itself has also previously acknowledged that, as a registered foreign agent, it has no authority to determine Nigeria’s political leadership, saying that power rests with Nigerians.
No evidence presented in Thursday’s statement establishes that President Tinubu has rigged the forthcoming 2027 election, which has not yet taken place.
The latest statement therefore represents a warning and political assertion by a private US lobbying firm rather than an official determination by the American government.
