Atiku Hires US Lobbying Firm For $1.2m To Boost Image
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has signed a one-year contract worth $1.2 million with a
Washington-based lobbying firm to improve his international image and strengthen advocacy efforts in
the United States.
The contract with Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. was formally executed on March 9 and 10, 2026, and
registered with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
The agreement was signed by the firm’s managing partner, Karl Von Batten, and Fabiyi Oladimeji, who
represented Atiku Abubakar.
According to the filing, the scope of services includes direct lobbying of Members of Congress,
congressional staff, and officials in the executive branch.
The firm is also expected to provide strategic advisory services on messaging, policy positioning, public
relations, and media engagement aimed at advancing a positive understanding of Atiku’s leadership and
political vision.
The $1.2 million fee is to be paid in six instalments over the 12-month period. The engagement is
described as an effort to build stronger bilateral ties and counter what Atiku’s camp perceives as
negative narratives from the current Nigerian government.
This development comes as Atiku, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African
Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2025, continues to position himself as a major opposition figure ahead of
the 2027 presidential election. He is widely seen as one of the leading aspirants within the ADC.
It is not the first time Atiku has engaged foreign lobbying firms. During the build-up to the 2023 election,
he and the PDP also hired U.S.-based firms for similar advocacy work.
The contract has sparked mixed reactions, with some political observers viewing it as a strategic move to
internationalise Atiku’s brand, while critics have questioned the huge sum being spent on foreign
lobbying at a time of economic hardship in Nigeria.
By Oyinkansola Shittu.
