A U.S. lobbying firm, Von Batten‑Montague‑York, L.C., has announced that it is engaging senior members of the former Donald Trump administration and members of Congress over allegations that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is attempting to use the judiciary to rig the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement posted on X, the firm said the U.S. State Department has documented corruption within Nigeria’s judiciary and that Nigerian government officials have exerted political pressure on the courts. It added that members of Congress are returning to Washington, D.C., after the mid‑term elections and warned that any failure by the 119th Congress and the State Department to prevent Tinubu from openly rigging the upcoming election would “be a stain on the legacy of both institutions.”
The claim was made in the wake of a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the David Mark‑led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and invalidated Atiku Abubakar’s nomination as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election. The firm described the timing of the ruling as suspicious, alleging that Tinubu’s officials met on Wednesday night after Atiku’s large rally in Sokoto and that the ruling was the result of that meeting.
Von Batten‑Montague‑York also noted that Democrats in Congress are preparing to investigate Tinubu’s mining Memorandum of Understanding, and warned that the alleged actions could push Nigeria closer to political unrest with dire consequences for U.S. interests and regional stability.
“We are engaging with senior members of the Donald Trump Administration and Congress about Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s latest blatant attempt to use the Nigerian judiciary to rig the upcoming Nigerian presidential election,” the firm said. The statement underscores the firm’s concern that the alleged plot could undermine democratic processes in Nigeria and affect U.S. diplomatic and economic interests in the region.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
