Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A United States-based advocacy firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is too desperate to remain in power, accusing him of clinging to the presidency for self-serving reasons, including the protection of head-of-state immunity from potential prosecution over long-standing drug trafficking allegations. The firm made the allegation in a statement posted on its verified X handle on Thursday, October 1, 2026, as Nigeria prepares for its 2027 general elections. The firm, which has been engaged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's campaign, also accused the President of weaponising the police, courts and electoral institutions to rig the 2027 polls.
The firm's statement was a direct reaction to the arrest of five men in Borno State who were reportedly detained for wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription "Tinubu Must Go". The firm reiterated what it described as the significance of the United States standing with the Nigerian people as they fight for democracy and the rule of law. "Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is desperate to remain in power for many self-beneficial reasons, including something called head-of-state immunity, a doctrine that can protect sitting heads of state from the jurisdiction of foreign courts while they remain in office," the firm tweeted. "Tinubu is now fully aware that the only thing standing in the way of a possible official re-examination of his alleged role in the trafficking of heroin from Nigeria into the United States during the 1980s and 1990s, and a possible new criminal indictment, is his current status as President of Nigeria."
The arrest of the five men in Maiduguri has become a flashpoint in the escalating political tension ahead of the 2027 elections. Amnesty International identified the detained men as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed. The Borno State Police Command said the men were arrested on September 25 during a routine patrol around the West End Roundabout in Maiduguri, and that two T-shirts bearing the "Tinubu Must Go" inscription were found in their possession. The police also claimed the suspects were found with suspected cannabis, a claim their lawyers and supporters have disputed. Atiku Abubakar demanded the release of the five men, describing their detention as an assault on free speech. Civil society organisations protested the arrest and remand of the men, describing the action as an attempt to criminalise political dissent.
The allegations by Von Batten-Montague-York are not new. The firm has been at the centre of a prolonged legal and political battle over the release of US government records relating to Tinubu, including documents from a 1990s Chicago heroin trafficking investigation. The firm has repeatedly claimed that Tinubu may face criminal charges after he leaves office, when he no longer has immunity ratione personae. In September 2026, the firm issued a fresh warning over the drug allegations, saying its founder, Dr Karl Von Batten, had met with members of the US Congress and senior state government officials during the Republican National Midterm Convention. The firm also accused the Presidency of offering it $3 million to stop its anti-Tinubu campaign, an allegation the government has denied.
The political context of the firm's intervention is deeply intertwined with the 2027 election campaign. Von Batten-Montague-York was hired by Atiku Abubakar in March 2026 on a 12-month retainer reportedly worth $1.2 million to protect and strengthen his reputational standing in the United States. The Presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has criticised Atiku for engaging the firm, describing it as a "commercial lobbyist" rather than an official of the US government. Atiku's camp has defended the engagement, saying it was registered with the US Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The firm's latest statement is therefore both a legal and political intervention, designed to keep the drug trafficking allegations in the public eye and to frame the 2027 election as a referendum not just on Tinubu's economic record but on his personal integrity.
The Presidency has not yet issued a formal response to the firm's latest allegation. However, it has consistently dismissed Von Batten-Montague-York as a politically motivated actor working on behalf of Atiku Abubakar. Officials have argued that the US case is a civil FOIA matter, not a criminal proceeding, and that the FBI has found no criminal arrest records or warrants for Tinubu. The Presidency has also accused the opposition of politicising a legal process to score cheap political points. The firm's claim that Tinubu is weaponising state institutions to rig the 2027 polls is a serious allegation that, if substantiated, would have profound implications for Nigeria's democracy. The firm did not provide evidence to support the claim, and it remains an allegation rather than a proven fact.
As the 2027 general elections approach, the battle over Tinubu's records and his eligibility to contest is likely to intensify. The firm's statement has added another layer of controversy to an already contentious political season, framing the election as a choice between a President allegedly clinging to power to avoid prosecution and an opposition determined to hold him accountable. For the Tinubu administration, the challenge is to demonstrate that the President is focused on governance, not personal survival. For the opposition, the firm's allegations offer a potent political weapon. For the Nigerian people, the question is whether the 2027 election will be decided on issues of economic management, security and governance, or whether it will be consumed by the legal and political battles surrounding the President's past. The coming months will reveal which narrative prevails.
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