A Washington, D.C.-based Republican policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., has told members of the United States Congress that allegations linking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to heroin trafficking in the 1980s and 1990s should be treated as a matter of national security.
The firm announced this on its verified X account on Wednesday, stating that it had begun engagements with members of Congress and senior congressional staff over a Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, case connected to the allegations.
“Members of Congress and senior congressional staff returned to Washington today, and we wasted no time,” the firm said.
“We immediately began reaching out to our friends on Capitol Hill” to brief them on the matter.
According to the firm, the discussions centered on alleged heroin trafficking involving Tinubu during the 1980s and 1990s.
“Our message was clear: these allegations are not merely a Nigerian domestic political matter,” it stated.
The lobbying firm argued that the issue has implications for U.S. national security, law enforcement cooperation, intelligence sharing, and counter-narcotics efforts.
It also raised questions about the future of Nigeria-U.S. relations, especially as Washington reviews its strategic partnerships across Africa.
“U.S. policymakers should consider whether President Tinubu represents a strategic asset or an increasing national-security liability,” the firm added.
The allegations regarding President Tinubu’s past have surfaced in U.S. court documents and media reports over the years. The latest move comes as political discussions ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections begin to gain momentum.
