A United States-based lobbying and advocacy firm has claimed that efforts by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to secure the political backing of US President Donald Trump ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election have failed.
The claim was made by Von Batten-Montague-York, a US lobbying firm that has a separate professional relationship with former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The firm alleged that a planned meeting between Tinubu and Trump around the 81st United Nations General Assembly would no longer take place and further claimed that any effort to obtain Trump’s endorsement for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid had collapsed.
Claim over proposed Tinubu-Trump meeting
The firm stated that what it described as Tinubu’s heavily pursued meeting with Trump was no longer going ahead.
It also alleged that securing Trump’s political support was an important objective of the proposed engagement.
However, the claim remains an assertion by the lobbying firm. There has been no independent confirmation from the White House establishing that Trump had agreed to endorse any candidate in Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Tinubu’s absence from UN General Assembly
The development coincides with the decision by President Tinubu not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in person.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the General Assembly, which begins its high-level activities in New York on September 22, 2026.
The Presidency has presented the delegation as part of Nigeria’s official participation in the international gathering. The US firm’s claim about a cancelled Tinubu-Trump engagement should therefore be distinguished from the independently reported decision concerning Nigeria’s delegation.
US lobbying activities surrounding Nigeria
The dispute comes against the backdrop of increased lobbying and diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the United States.
US Foreign Agents Registration Act records show that the Nigerian government, through Kaduna-based Aster Legal and on behalf of the Office of the National Security Adviser, retained Washington-based DCI Group under a $9 million agreement.
Available documentation describes the purpose of that engagement as government relations and strategic communications relating to Nigeria’s security concerns, protection of communities and continued US support for counterterrorism efforts.
The documented purpose of the contract does not, by itself, establish that the $9 million was specifically intended to obtain Trump’s personal endorsement of Tinubu for the 2027 election.
Firm’s relationship with Atiku
Von Batten-Montague-York also has a separate lobbying relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
According to available US lobbying records cited in reports about the matter, Atiku engaged the firm in March 2026 under a 12-month agreement valued at $1.2 million for strategic advisory and government-relations services.
The firm’s public criticism of the Tinubu administration has consequently become part of the wider political dispute surrounding Nigeria’s 2027 presidential contest.
Trump has previously expressed support for Nigeria-US cooperation
The claim of a failed endorsement should not be confused with the documented diplomatic relationship between Trump and Tinubu.
In July 2026, Trump responded to a letter from Tinubu and praised what he described as the Nigerian president’s leadership, particularly regarding efforts to address violence and terrorism.
Trump also expressed support for continued US-Nigeria cooperation in combating terrorism and strengthening bilateral relations. However, that correspondence did not constitute a formal declaration of support for Tinubu’s candidacy in the 2027 Nigerian election.
Political significance of a Trump endorsement
A public endorsement by a sitting US president would be politically significant, but foreign leaders do not ordinarily determine Nigeria’s electoral process. Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election will ultimately be conducted under Nigerian electoral law and administered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Consequently, claims about possible international endorsements should be distinguished from formal electoral developments within Nigeria.
No official confirmation of a 2027 endorsement
As of September 21, 2026, the claim that Tinubu’s alleged effort to obtain Trump’s endorsement has failed remains attributable to Von Batten-Montague-York.
The firm has made claims concerning the proposed presidential meeting and alleged lobbying efforts, but available reporting does not establish an official White House announcement confirming either a promised Trump endorsement of Tinubu or a formal cancellation of such an endorsement.
The issue is therefore likely to remain part of the broader political debate surrounding Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, US-Nigeria relations and the increasing use of Washington-based lobbying by Nigerian political and governmental interests.