A US-based lobbying firm says a planned meeting between Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and US President Donald Trump is in uncertainty, alleging that Nigerian officials may have already “settled the Americans” ahead of the talks. The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, made the claim in a post on X, linking it to an ongoing effort to obtain US FBI and DEA records related to Tinubu.
The firm says it received information from “highly placed Nigerians” suggesting the presidency is confident the records will not be released and that the meeting will proceed because “the Americans had been settled.” It notes that “settled the Americans” is a Nigerian expression typically meaning something of value was offered to secure a favorable outcome, but it also says it did not independently verify the allegation. The reports also reference concerns about the timing of a planned US–Nigeria minerals agreement at the UN summit and an alleged unsolicited $3 million offer connected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, which the firm says it cannot substantiate as tied to the minerals deal.
While both outlets describe the allegations as raising fresh questions about the meeting and US integrity, neither reports an official response from Tinubu’s camp or confirmation from US officials.
