A planned meeting between Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and US President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly has been thrown into uncertainty, following fresh allegations raised by a US lobbying firm.
Von Batten-Montague-York, which has been involved in efforts to secure the release of FBI and DEA records relating to Tinubu, claimed in a statement on X that “highly placed Nigerians” informed them the Presidency was confident the records would never be released and that the meeting would proceed because “the Americans had been settled.”
The firm explained that the phrase “settled the Americans” was a Nigerian expression suggesting that something of value may have been offered to secure a favorable outcome.
It admitted, however, that it had not independently verified the claim.The allegations come as Nigeria prepares to announce a US–Nigeria minerals agreement during the UN summit.
The lobbyists warned that the timing of the deal raised “serious questions about appearances and the need to protect US integrity.”
Von Batten-Montague-York also referenced an unsolicited $3 million offer allegedly made by a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) connected to Tinubu, though it stressed there was no evidence linking the offer to the minerals deal.
The firm said it had begun briefing members of the Trump administration about what it described as a potential “appearance problem” surrounding the proposed signing of the agreement.
Tinubu’s camp has not publicly responded to the allegations, which add to the controversy surrounding the ongoing Freedom of Information Act case seeking the release of US government records tied to the Nigerian president.