Yoruba Forum Reacts as Trump Gives Atiku's US Lobbyist New Appointment
- The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum said Trump's appointment of Dr Karl Von Batten gives fresh international weight to Atiku's 2027 presidential campaign
- Von Batten's firm was retained by Atiku Abubakar earlier in 2026 under a reported $1.2 million, 12-month lobbying agreement registered under US law
- The forum said the development shows Nigeria's 2027 political contest is increasingly being fought in global policy centres, particularly Washington
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The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum has responded to the appointment of Dr Karl Von Batten, Managing Partner of the Washington-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., to a White House presidential commission by United States President Donald Trump.
In a statement signed by its President, Chief Akin Malaolu, on Thursday, September 4, 2026, the forum said the development carried fresh political significance because Von Batten's firm had already been engaged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, under a reported $1.2 million, 12-month contract registered under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Source: UGC
Under that agreement, the firm was hired to provide government-affairs, strategic-advisory and lobbying services, including advancing Atiku's policy positions among American lawmakers, facilitating contacts with Congress and executive-branch officials, and shaping his leadership profile in Washington policy circles.
Forum's assessment of the appointment
The Yoruba group was careful to note that no evidence existed linking Trump's commission decision to Von Batten's work for Atiku. It nonetheless described the timing as politically significant, arguing that it demonstrated the level of institutional access and credibility surrounding the lobbyist now working on behalf of Nigeria's main opposition candidate.
The forum argued that the appointment placed greater visibility around Atiku's Washington strategy at a critical moment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
"The battle over Nigeria's democratic credentials, economic direction, governance and international reputation is increasingly being fought in global policy centres, particularly Washington," the statement read.
The group also claimed that Von Batten's firm had grown more vocal on Nigerian political affairs in recent months, including on matters relating to electoral integrity and the Bola Tinubu administration.
It used this to pose a question to the presidency, asking whether the Tinubu government should be concerned about the opposition gaining stronger access in Washington if it was confident in its own international standing.
2027 contest moving beyond Nigeria's borders
The forum concluded that the combination of Atiku's lobbying investment and Von Batten's new White House role signalled that the 2027 political contest was no longer a purely domestic affair.
"For the opposition ADC and Atiku, this is more than a personnel announcement. It is evidence that the international dimension of Nigeria's 2027 political contest is gathering momentum," the statement added.
Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party and was ratified as the ADC presidential candidate on May 29, 2026, following his resignation from the party on May 2, 2026.
Atiku challenges Tinubu to explain $460,000 US forfeiture record
Previously, Legit.ng reported that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's camp told President Bola Tinubu to stop attacking the character of lobbyist Karl Von Batten and instead address documented American court and government records that his opponents say raise serious questions.
The challenge came in a statement released on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, in response to remarks from the presidency delivered by Sunday Dare.
Source: Legit.ng
