ABUJA — The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has warned President Bola Tinubu against attacking Karl Von Batten, the US-based lobbyist hired to represent his interests in Washington.

Atiku’s warning followed comments by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, who criticised the former Vice President for engaging Von Batten-Montague-York and cautioned against claims that the firm’s managing partner, Karl Von Batten, had direct access to US President Donald Trump or members of his administration.

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Responding through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku challenged the Presidency to focus on the substance of the allegations contained in historical US judicial records rather than attacking the lobbyist representing him in Washington.

Shaibu argued that Atiku’s engagement with Von Batten-Montague-York was publicly registered with the United States Department of Justice and therefore should not be portrayed as a secret attempt to influence the US government.

He challenged President Tinubu to explain the circumstances surrounding a $460,000 civil forfeiture in the United States, including why his name appeared in historical federal narcotics and money-laundering records and why a US District Court entered a decree forfeiting funds held in an account bearing his name.

“These are not documents written by Atiku Abubakar. They were not manufactured by Karl Von Batten. They form part of an American judicial record,” Shaibu said.

The Atiku camp acknowledged that civil forfeiture does not amount to a criminal conviction but maintained that the existence of the court record could not simply be dismissed through political attacks or criticism of the messenger.

Shaibu further argued that both Tinubu and Atiku were entitled to engage lobbyists and questioned why the ADC candidate’s decision to hire a Washington-based lobbying firm was being portrayed by the Presidency as an act of desperation.

He said the focus of the political debate should instead be on the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians, including rising food and transportation costs, electricity bills, insecurity and declining purchasing power.

“President Tinubu, before counting Atiku’s $1.2 million, account for your own $9 million arrangement. And before attacking the messenger, answer the $460,000 question,” Shaibu said.

The latest exchange adds to the growing political confrontation between the Tinubu administration and Atiku ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with both camps increasingly trading accusations over their activities in Nigeria and the United States.