TD WASHINGTON/ABUJA — A Washington-based Republican lobbying and public-affairs firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., has called on the United States government to support Nigerians demanding democracy and the rule of law, while accusing President Bola Tinubu of using state institutions to suppress dissent and influence the 2027 presidential election.
The firm made the allegations in a statement circulated on social media, warning that developments in Nigeria represented what it described as a threat to US interests in the country and the wider region.
Von Batten-Montague-York alleged that Tinubu had “weaponized” Nigeria’s law-enforcement agencies, judiciary and electoral institutions in preparation for the 2027 election.
The firm did not provide evidence in the statement establishing that the President had directed any institution to rig the 2027 election.
Its allegation comes as political tensions rise ahead of Nigeria’s next presidential election.
Firm Cites ‘Tinubu Must Go’ Arrests
The lobbying firm’s statement highlighted the recent arrest of five men in Maiduguri, Borno State, over T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”
The men — Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abbacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed — were arrested on September 25 and subsequently arraigned before a Maiduguri magistrate court.
Police initially charged them with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery.
The Borno State Police Command has since said the men were not prosecuted solely because of the political message on their clothing.
According to the police, officers conducting a routine patrol allegedly found the suspects with 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, a shisha pot, a pair of scissors and two T-shirts bearing the “Tinubu Must Go” inscription.
The suspects pleaded not guilty.
The case has nevertheless generated criticism from civil-society groups. Amnesty International described the arrests as arbitrary and argued that expressing political dissent through clothing should not, by itself, constitute a criminal offence.
The arrests sparked widespread reactions, with Nigerians insisting that if wearing a “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirt is now considered a crime, security agencies should “start arresting all of us.”
Many also demanded the immediate release of the five individuals reportedly arrested in Borno State.
The police have maintained that the matter should be determined through the judicial process.
Von Batten Invokes Tiananmen Square
In its statement, Von Batten-Montague-York compared the Nigerian situation to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in China, saying Nigerians were “risking their lives for democracy.”
The firm urged Washington to stand with Nigerians seeking what it described as democracy and the rule of law.
It stated:
“The power to change their political future rests in the hands of the #Nigerian people, and their hands alone.”
The firm nevertheless argued that the United States should support Nigerians because, in its assessment, developments in Nigeria could affect American interests.
It described the alleged use of Nigerian state institutions for political purposes as a “direct and clear threat” to US national security and interests in Nigeria and the wider region.
The Tiananmen comparison is the firm’s characterization of the situation and is not an established finding by the US government.
US Court Battle Over FBI, DEA Records
The lobbying firm’s statement also referred to an ongoing legal dispute in the United States involving records held by the FBI, DEA and US Department of Justice concerning investigations involving Tinubu.
Tinubu has intervened in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking records concerning investigations involving the Nigerian president.
The requested material includes FBI records concerning Tinubu and interview records dating from 1992 and 1993. The case also concerns records associated with a 1993 civil-forfeiture proceeding involving approximately $460,000 linked to Tinubu.
Tinubu’s lawyers have asked the US District Court for the District of Columbia to reject efforts to release additional records, arguing that privacy protections under US law apply to the material.
The existence of the US litigation is established. However, the allegations contained in or surrounding the records should not be treated as proof that Tinubu committed drug-trafficking offences. The litigation concerns access to government records and the applicable exemptions and privacy protections.
Electoral Allegations Remain Contested
The allegation that Tinubu has already “weaponized” Nigeria’s electoral institutions to rig the 2027 presidential election remains an allegation, not an established fact.
The 2027 election has nevertheless generated growing disputes over the independence of political and electoral institutions.
Opposition politicians and other critics have separately accused the administration of using state institutions against political opponents. For example, opposition figures have raised concerns over judicial decisions affecting political parties and the electoral process.
Such allegations are politically contested, and the specific claim that the 2027 presidential election has been rigged in advance cannot presently be established from the evidence cited by Von Batten-Montague-York.
Firm Calls for US Support
Von Batten-Montague-York’s intervention places the Nigerian political dispute within a broader US foreign-policy and democratic-governance context.
The firm urged the US government to support Nigerians demanding democratic accountability and respect for the rule of law.
Its statement comes as political mobilisation intensifies ahead of the 2027 election and as opposition groups challenge aspects of the government’s handling of dissent, the judiciary and electoral politics.
For now, the arrests in Borno and the US litigation over FBI and DEA records are documented developments.
However, the firm’s broader allegations that President Tinubu has deliberately weaponised state institutions to rig the 2027 election remain allegations.
