A chieftain of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bashir Ahmad, criticises a US lobbying firm’s claim that President Bola Tinubu will not be allowed a private meeting with US President Donald Trump during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Ahmad reacts to a Monday statement attributed to the firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, which says Trump administration officials have made clear that Trump will not meet privately with Tinubu, described in the statement as an “alleged heroin trafficker.” The firm also frames this as a certainty about access and potential embarrassment for Tinubu at UNGA.
Different outlets present the claim primarily through the lens of domestic political response. Bashir Ahmad argues the statement is a “political attack” and says repeated allegations are not convictions, calling for due process and credible evidence. He also says it is irresponsible to present speculative assumptions about Trump’s refusal to meet as fact unless confirmed by the White House or relevant diplomatic channels. Overall, the reports centre on the dispute between the firm’s asserted access outcome and the APC chieftain’s challenge to the substance and framing of those claims.
