Diaspora Group Slams Atiku, Lobbyist Over Anti-Tinubu Campaign
- The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group USA Chapter accused Atiku Abubakar of running a lobbying campaign in Washington to discredit President Tinubu
- The group said the 1993 US documents being circulated were from a civil forfeiture case, not a criminal conviction, and were being deliberately misrepresented
- NDMG warned the campaign could damage the reputation of millions of Nigerians living and working abroad
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A Nigerian diaspora group based in the United States has condemned former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over what it called a coordinated Washington lobbying effort aimed at discrediting President Bola Tinubu before the 2027 general elections.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) USA Chapter accused Atiku and his associates of turning a domestic political rivalry into an international embarrassment for Nigeria.
Source: Facebook
The president of the diaspora group, Daniel Cosmas, made this known in an e-statement issued and made available to Legit.ng on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
NDMG disputes the legal claims
Central to the group's objection is its characterisation of the documents being circulated in Washington. NDMG said the 1993 US proceedings that Atiku's camp has been highlighting relate to a civil forfeiture case and have no bearing on any criminal prosecution or conviction involving Tinubu.
"The attempt to sell an old civil forfeiture proceeding as though it were a criminal conviction is a cynical distortion of history. There is a fundamental difference between a civil proceeding involving the forfeiture of money and a criminal conviction for drug traff1cking. Those who understand the American legal system know this distinction, yet political operators appear determined to blur it for propaganda purposes," Cosmas said.
The group also raised concerns about the lobbyist at the centre of the campaign, saying the individual had attracted public scrutiny over his character and background, and had been identified as being of Nigerian origin.
"It is astonishing that people who claim to be defending Nigeria's interests would outsource their campaign to a lobbyist whose own character and background have become subjects of public scrutiny," Cosmas said.
NDMG urges opposition to fight domestically
NDMG acknowledged that Atiku had every right to oppose Tinubu and contest the 2027 elections, but drew a firm line between legitimate opposition and seeking foreign intervention.
"Democracy gives Atiku every right to oppose President Tinubu, criticise his policies and seek the support of Nigerians in 2027. What democracy does not give anyone is the right to outsource Nigeria's political contest to Washington. If the opposition has a case against Tinubu, it should present that case to Nigerians and, where appropriate, to the Nigerian courts. Lobbying American officials with recycled allegations does not make those allegations true," Cosmas said.
The group warned that the campaign carried consequences well beyond the two politicians involved. According to NDMG, repeatedly associating Nigeria's leadership with unproven criminal allegations risks reinforcing negative perceptions of Nigerians in professional, business and diplomatic circles abroad.
"Those pushing this campaign should remember that they will not be the only Nigerians answering questions when our country's reputation is dragged through the mud. There are millions of Nigerians abroad building careers, businesses and families. Their dignity should not become collateral damage in an opposition politician's presidential ambition," Cosmas said.
The group called on Atiku's camp to abandon what it described as the politics of international embarrassment and return the contest to issues that matter to ordinary Nigerians.
Source: UGC
Trump gives appointment to lobbyist linked to Atiku
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that President Donald Trump appointed Karl Von Batten, a Nigerian-born lobbyist linked to Atiku, to a White House presidential commission on September 2, 2026.
Von Batten is the managing partner of Von Batten-Montague-York, a US-based policy advisory and advocacy firm.
The firm announced the appointment via its verified X page on September 3, calling it a distinguished honour.
Source: Legit.ng
