Accusations of Defamation and Harassment
Femi Fani-Kayode, the Ambassador-Designate to South Africa and former Ambassador to Germany, has publicly accused the United States-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York LC of circulating defamatory information regarding President Bola Tinubu. The allegations were detailed in a statement posted on his X (Twitter) handle on September 8, 2026, according to Naija News.
Fani-Kayode directed his criticism at Karl Ikemefuna Von Batten, the owner of Von Batten-Montague-York LC. He stated that the firm had been engaged in a campaign to portray the Nigerian president as a criminal. Fani-Kayode emphasized that such characterizations were baseless because President Tinubu has not been convicted of any crime.
In his statement, Fani-Kayode described the volume of communications he received regarding these claims. He reported that his email inbox and direct messages across all his social media platforms had been "flooded" with materials published by Von Batten. He noted that these messages came from individuals located in various parts of the world who were sharing the firm's daily publications about President Tinubu.
Describing the content shared by the lobbying firm, Fani-Kayode referred to it as "hogwash." He expressed frustration with the persistent nature of the communications, which he claimed occurred on a daily basis. The ambassador-designate did not specify the exact number of messages received but characterized the volume as overwhelming.
Demands for Evidence and Legal Process
A central component of Fani-Kayode's rebuttal involved challenging specific financial allegations made by Von Batten-Montague-York LC. The lobbying firm had previously alleged that President Tinubu was bribed with $3 million through an associate to secure his silence regarding certain matters.
Fani-Kayode directly challenged Von Batten to substantiate this claim. He stated, "How did you manage to fool Atiku?" while demanding that the lobbyist provide concrete evidence to support the assertion that a bribe had been paid. The former minister indicated that no such proof had been presented by the firm.
Regarding ongoing legal matters in the United States involving President Tinubu, Fani-Kayode addressed those pursuing disclosure cases against the president. He urged these individuals to allow the court proceedings to run their course without interference or premature public judgment.
Fani-Kayode expressed confidence in the American judicial system, stating that he believed the U.S. judiciary would uphold the rule of law. He asserted that the legal process in the United States was capable of protecting the president's rights and ensuring a fair resolution to any pending cases.
Political Context and Responses
The dispute highlights tensions between Nigerian political figures and international lobbying entities. Von Batten-Montague-York LC, based in the United States, has been active in publishing materials critical of President Tinubu. The firm's owner, Karl Ikemefuna Von Batten, has been identified as the primary source of these publications.
Fani-Kayode's statement serves as a formal denial of the allegations leveled by the U.S. firm. By demanding evidence for the $3 million bribe claim and citing the lack of a criminal conviction against the president, Fani-Kayode sought to discredit the lobbying firm's narrative.
As of September 8, 2026, there is no record in the provided source material of a direct response from Karl Ikemefuna Von Batten or Von Batten-Montague-York LC regarding Fani-Kayode's accusations. The report from Naija News focuses exclusively on the statements released by the Ambassador-Designate to South Africa.
The incident underscores the role of digital platforms in political discourse, as Fani-Kayode noted that the dissemination of the firm's materials occurred through email and direct messages across social media handles globally. The ambassador-designate's call for patience with the U.S. legal process suggests a reliance on judicial outcomes rather than public relations campaigns to resolve the disputes.