Atiku's American campaign consultant claims harassment and vows to inform President Trump

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has hired a United States-based lobby firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., which is now engaging the US government over alleged human rights concerns in Nigeria, including claims of political intimidation, arrests of government critics, and weakening democratic freedoms, ahead of the 2027 elections.

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The firm alleges that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is displaying characteristics of a single-party dictatorship, consolidating power through fear and intimidation, as evidenced by the treatment of critics and opposition figures.

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According to the firm, public figures and ordinary citizens who criticize the current government are being arrested, detained, or charged with corruption, with the firm tracking cases it considers concerning, including the ongoing legal challenges involving former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

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El-Rufai was charged after publicly criticizing President Tinubu, while businessman John Olatunde Ayeni has reportedly faced legal pressure after criticizing the current government, leading the firm to conclude that critics of the Tinubu government are being targeted.

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The firm claims that thousands of ordinary Nigerians with no public profile are being arrested, beaten, intimidated, or disappearing without international attention, and that this trend is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

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The common thread among these cases is the targeting of critics of the Tinubu government, with the firm warning that it will brief the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and the US Congress on the growing weaponisation of state institutions to silence dissent ahead of the next presidential election.

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These claims come against the backdrop of heightened political tension surrounding El-Rufai, who has spent 91 days in custody despite a Federal High Court ruling granting him 100 million bail in an alleged national security-related case.

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Justice Joyce Abdulmalik had imposed strict bail conditions, including the requirement of a high-ranking civil servant surety and property documentation, but El-Rufai remains in detention due to a separate corruption case.

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A Kaduna State High Court ordered that El-Rufai be held by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, sparking protests from family members, allies, and supporters at the Department of State Services headquarters in Abuja.

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Demonstrators accused security agencies of violating court directives and denying El-Rufai access to medical care and legal rights, further fueling tensions in the ongoing case.