Key Takeaways
- A Washington-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York L.C., opposed a reported plan for President Bola Tinubu to meet US President, Donald Trump, at UNGA.
- The firm said Nigeria’s UN Permanent Representative, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, claimed on TV that Tinubu would hold talks with Trump during next month’s assembly.
- Von Batten-Montague-York said it shared Ibrahim’s video with senior Trump officials and plans to send it to Congress and the State Department.
A United States-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York L.C., has opposed a reported plan for President Bola Tinubu to meet United States President, Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Naija News reports that the Washington-based firm disclosed its position in a statement posted on 𝕏 while reacting to comments attributed to Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim.
Ibrahim had reportedly said during a television interview that Tinubu was expected to hold talks with Trump during next month’s UN General Assembly.
The lobbying firm said it had forwarded a video containing the ambassador’s remarks to senior members of the Trump administration.
Von Batten-Montague-York added that it planned to send the material to members of the United States Congress and officials of the Department of State.
The firm said, “We have shared the video with senior members of President Donald Trump’s administration.
“In the coming days, we will also share it with members of Congress and the State Department.”
The company did not disclose the identities of the officials who allegedly received the video or whether the Trump administration had responded to its communication.
Lobbyists Raise Endorsement Concerns
The firm argued that a meeting between Tinubu and Trump could be portrayed by some Nigerians as an endorsement of the Nigerian President.
It linked its objection to longstanding controversies surrounding allegations and historical court records involving Tinubu in the United States.
“President Tinubu and his associates are attempting to convince Nigerians and the world that President Trump condones the drug trafficking allegations against Tinubu,” the statement read.
The United Nations General Assembly traditionally provides opportunities for world leaders to hold bilateral meetings outside the main proceedings, although such engagements are often subject to diplomatic confirmation and scheduling changes.
