The Presidency has rejected the narrative promoted by US lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York over President Bola Tinubu’s FBI records.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said the firm does not speak for the US government. Dare spoke as fresh details emerged from a US court case involving FBI records linked to Tinubu.
The FBI recently filed a sworn declaration confirming that Tinubu was a subject of an investigation involving the agency and the US Drug Enforcement Administration in the early 1990s.
However, the court records do not establish that Tinubu committed a drug-trafficking offence. They also do not show that a court convicted him of such an offence.
Presidency rejects Von Batten narrative
Dare criticised the way Von Batten-Montague-York has presented information from the court proceedings. He argued that statements from the Washington-based firm should not be mistaken for the official position of the US government.
“It is nothing more than political speculation packaged as classified information. We demand that they produce the so-called ‘highly classified intelligence report’, identify their unnamed sources, and provide tangible evidence for their wild allegations,” Dare said.
The presidential aide also questioned the role of the firm’s founder, Karl Von Batten. Dare described him as a commercial lobbyist rather than a US government official.
“Dr. Karl Von Batten’s comments represent solely the position of an individual associated with Atiku-linked political interests, not the U.S. government or President Trump,” he said.
Dare links firm to Atiku
Dare also accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of engaging the lobbying firm ahead of the 2027 election. According to the presidential aide, US Foreign Agents Registration Act filings show that Atiku hired the firm under a 12-month agreement worth $1.2 million.
Dare alleged that the arrangement sought to use historical US records as political leverage against the Tinubu administration. He also challenged the firm to produce evidence for its claims about an alleged classified intelligence report.
The Presidency’s comments followed renewed attention to the long-running Freedom of Information Act case over Tinubu’s US records.
FBI confirms investigation in court filing
The FBI’s latest declaration has added a new dimension to the controversy. The agency said investigators compiled the records during an investigation involving several people suspected of drug-trafficking crimes.
The declaration also referred to an earlier court ruling that found US authorities had officially acknowledged an investigation involving Tinubu. The case began after American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan sought records from US agencies. His requests include Tinubu’s FBI file and interview records from 1992 and 1993.
US District Judge Beryl Howell ordered the FBI and DEA in 2025 to search for and process records that did not qualify for exemption. The agencies have continued to withhold parts of the records under exemptions covering privacy, confidential sources and investigative methods.
They have also cited provisions designed to protect individuals from potential physical harm.
Legal case separate from political claims
The court case does not amount to a criminal charge against Tinubu. The 2025 ruling did not find that he committed a drug-trafficking offence. It also did not result in a conviction against him.
That distinction has become important as political actors and the lobbying firm continue to interpret developments in the case. The FBI has confirmed that an investigation involving Tinubu existed. However, Von Batten-Montague-York’s interpretation of the records does not represent an official US government position.
The legal battle over access to the remaining records continues.
