US Lobbying Firms Clash Over $57 Million Lawsuit Against Tinubu

American lobbying firm DCI Group has denied claims made by Washington lobbyist Karl Von Batten in a $57 million lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian government, former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and DCI Group itself.

DCI is working for the Nigerian government on lobbying in the United States. Meanwhile, Mr Von Batten is doing similar work for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Femi Fani-Kayode's office also told PREMIUM TIMES that he has not received the court papers officially and repeated his earlier denial of the claims.

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on September 28. It includes claims of defamation and a conspiracy to kidnap and harm Mr Von Batten. These claims are disputed and not yet proven in court.

In an email to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, Craig Stevens from DCI Group rejected the allegations.

"Mr. Von Batten’s allegations are so far past unfounded that they reach the point of the absurd," Mr Stevens said.

He explained that DCI’s work for Nigeria aims to improve relations with US policymakers and pointed to the firm’s disclosures under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Mr Stevens did not respond to the specific allegations one by one.

In a separate response, Fani-Kayode’s office said “No” when asked if he had been formally served. They also confirmed that he continues to deny the allegations.

Fani-Kayode has earlier stated he plans to file a $100 million counterclaim against Mr Von Batten.

When asked if the counterclaim had been filed or if lawyers had been appointed, his office simply said: “All in good time.”

This response did not confirm any filing.

The US federal court records show the case as Von Batten v. Tinubu et al., No. 1:26-cv-03374, with Judge Randolph D. Moss presiding over it.

The defendants include President Tinubu, the Nigerian government, Femi Fani-Kayode, DCI Group AZ, LLC, and 10 unknown persons.

In a public statement, Von Batten-Montague-York said it is seeking $36 million from President Tinubu and the Nigerian government, $3 million from Fani-Kayode, and $18 million from DCI.

The firm claims that the defendants were part of efforts to defame, kidnap, or physically harm Mr Von Batten due to his work on US government records about President Tinubu.

The court records show that summonses were filed, but this does not mean that the defendants have been formally served.

PREMIUM TIMES has requested the complete court documents to review the allegations and the damages being sought.

PREMIUM TIMES reached out to the Presidency through Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy. They asked for a response to the allegations, confirmation of any formal service, and the government’s view on the court's jurisdiction.

The inquiries were sent via email and WhatsApp, followed by phone calls and reminders.

The newspaper also contacted Mr Atiku’s ADC campaign to find out if the former vice president or his team knew about the lawsuit before it was filed and if they supported its claims.

They also asked about Mr Atiku’s $1.2 million lobbying deal with Mr Von Batten’s firm, including payments made and their sources.

Mr Von Batten was also contacted for the full complaint, supporting documents, and his response to the denials by DCI and Mr Fani-Kayode. PREMIUM TIMES sought more information on the alleged threats, the damages claimed, and whether these events were reported to US law enforcement.

During a phone call to his office on Thursday, a representative took the reporter’s contact information and said they would forward the inquiry.

As of the time this report was written, the Presidency, the ADC campaign, and Mr Von Batten had not provided detailed responses.