Tinubu, Trump meeting in ‘limbo’ as US lobbyist raises fresh questions

A US-based lobbying firm has raised concerns over the potential meeting between Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and US President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly. The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, claims that the Nigerian Presidency may have "settled the Americans" ahead of the proposed meeting. The firm alleges that the Nigerian Presidency privately believes the FBI and DEA records will never be released and that the meeting with Trump is happening because the Americans have been "settled."

The firm, which is involved in efforts to secure the release of US government records relating to Tinubu, has been informed by "highly placed Nigerians" about these alleged developments. However, the firm has not independently verified the allegation. The timing of a proposed US-Nigeria minerals agreement, which is expected to be signed during the UN General Assembly, has also raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of US institutions.

The firm has also received an unsolicited $3 million offer from a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) connected to Tinubu, but has no evidence linking this offer to the proposed minerals agreement. The lobbying firm has informed members of the Trump administration about what it perceives as a potential "appearance problem" surrounding the proposed signing of the minerals agreement at the UN.