Shehu Sani Condemns Opposition's US Lobbying Campaign
Senator Shehu Sani has publicly condemned efforts by Nigeria's opposition to engage American lobby groups against President Bola Tinubu's administration. The former Kaduna Central senator warned that such campaigns could backfire on ordinary Nigerians, exposing them to visa restrictions and international sanctions.
In a post on his verified X account @ShehuSani on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, Sani described lobbying foreign governments to criminalise a sitting Nigerian president as both 'unconscionable and unpatriotic.' The post garnered over 186,000 views within hours, responding to reports that opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, had been engaging US lobby groups to mount pressure on the Tinubu administration.
Diplomatic Fallout Warning
The APC chieftain argued that such moves, even if they fail to achieve their intended goals, could severely damage Nigeria's standing abroad. 'The opposition should fight and struggle for power within the borders of our country. Seeking foreign help for regime change in a democratic setting is wrong,' Sani wrote, without naming any individual or group directly. However, the timing and content pointed clearly at opposition activity linked to Atiku's camp.
Sani emphasised that the risk of sanctions and visa restrictions was real, and that ordinary citizens would ultimately bear the consequences. His warning comes amid reports that Atiku hired a Washington lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, in March 2025 under a 12-month, $1.2 million contract to counter the Nigerian government's lobbying efforts in the US.
Nigerians Push Back on Hypocrisy Accusations
Sani's post triggered a wave of criticism from users who questioned his consistency. Many pointed to reports that the APC itself pursued a similar approach ahead of the 2015 general elections, when it was in opposition against then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
User @ileada01 defended the opposition's approach, writing: 'I don't blame them. I support their steps because they have tried it within the Nigerian border, and they turned down justice. The Nigerian system has failed them.'
@chorosis101 was more pointed: 'Funny. Tinubu did the same against Jonathan, but now it's unpatriotic? Principles shouldn't change because your side is in power. Shehu Sani, this sounds less like conviction and more like angling for a share of the national cake. Nigerians haven't forgotten.'
@AndreAretha2021 added: 'Reading this from a damaged man looking for redemption; I see @ShehuSani as being overly patriotic when it's convenient and beneficial.'
@_pistism rejected the framing entirely: 'There is nothing unpatriotic about simply telling President Trump what the man did in the past. It's left for Trump to decide what to do with the information.'
Others focused frustration on the government itself. @Eze_De_Analyst wrote: 'Nigerian government have no reputation whatsoever. The government of Bola Tinubu is nothing but a criminal government.'
@mouththfeelsca1 directed blame at the political class broadly: 'You politicians have damaged this great nation beyond repair.'
Atiku's Lobbyist Files on Tinubu
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Von Batten-Montague-York began distributing over 60 pages of DOJ documents on Tinubu to Trump, its officials, and Congress. The documents centre on a 1993 civil forfeiture case tied to a heroin trafficking investigation in which Tinubu's name appeared in federal court records.
The firm was hired by Atiku Abubakar in March 2025 under a 12-month, $1.2 million contract to counter the Nigerian government's lobbying efforts in the US.
