A United States lobbying firm linked to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has claimed that a proposed meeting between President Bola Tinubu and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly has been cancelled.
The claim by Von Batten-Montague-York came after the Presidency confirmed that Tinubu would not travel to New York for the UNGA, with Vice President Kashim Shettima designated to lead Nigeria’s delegation.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, the firm also claimed that Tinubu’s proposed participation in the gathering and any possible endorsement of his 2027 presidential bid by Trump were no longer certain.
The firm alleged that securing a meeting with Trump and obtaining his endorsement was a major objective of Tinubu’s planned UNGA trip.
“By the grace of Almighty God, and only by His grace, President Tinubu’s heavily lobbied UN meeting with President Trump is dead,” the firm said.
It further claimed that any endorsement of Tinubu in Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election was also “dead”.
Von Batten-Montague-York additionally alleged that about $9 million in Nigerian taxpayers’ money had been spent on efforts to facilitate the proposed meeting. The allegation has not been independently established.
The latest development follows earlier uncertainty over Tinubu’s attendance at the UNGA. Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jimoh Ibrahim, had previously said the President would attend and indicated that arrangements had been made for him to sit close to Trump during the General Assembly.
The Presidency has since confirmed that Shettima will represent Tinubu at the 81st session, ending weeks of speculation over whether the Nigerian leader would personally attend.
Von Batten-Montague-York has been involved in lobbying and advocacy concerning US government records relating to Tinubu and has previously made claims about efforts surrounding a possible meeting between the two presidents. The firm has acknowledged in an earlier statement that some of its claims had not been independently verified.
UNGA: Atiku-Linked US Firm Claims Tinubu-Trump Meeting Cancelled
