More trouble for Tinubu as US Court accepts Lobby Firm’s motion, supplemental evidence in alleged drug case

A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has announced that the US District Court for the District of Columbia has accepted and docketed its Motion for Leave to File Brief Amicus Curiae and Supplemental Notice of Evidentiary Exhibits in the ongoing legal dispute linked to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

The firm disclosed this in a statement published on its verified X account.

According to the firm, both submissions have now been formally entered on the federal court docket in Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-01816-BAH.

It said the development means the submissions are now before the court for consideration, regardless of whether President Tinubu opposes the application.

The firm described the development as a major victory, saying its objective was to ensure that the court considers public statements allegedly made by Nigerian government officials and relatives of the President regarding the underlying controversy.

“We are happy to announce that our Motion for Leave to File Brief Amicus Curiae and Supplemental Notice of Evidentiary Exhibits have been officially accepted and docketed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia,” the firm said.

Von Batten-Montague-York further claimed that the filings seek to draw the court’s attention to what it described as a contradiction between public discussions of the controversy by Nigerian officials and the President’s reported efforts to obtain privacy protections in the US court proceedings.

The firm said its submissions contain evidence relating to public statements attributed to officials and relatives of Tinubu, as well as what it described as “public mischaracterisations of facts relating to the case.”

It also criticised the President and his advisers over their handling of the matter.

“You cannot demand privacy in a U.S. federal court while publicly litigating the same controversy and attacking those advocating for disclosure,” the firm stated.

The group said it was satisfied with the docketing of its submissions, stressing that the court would ultimately decide whether to grant or deny its Motion for Leave.

“We are very pleased with this outcome because, regardless of whether the Court ultimately grants or denies our Motion for Leave, our submissions are now on the docket,” it added.

The development forms part of the continuing legal dispute in the US surrounding efforts to obtain or disclose records connected to the underlying controversy involving Tinubu.

However, the claims and characterisations made by Von Batten-Montague-York represent the firm’s position in the matter and should not be taken as findings of fact or conclusions reached by the US court.

The court’s docketing of a filing also does not, by itself, mean that the court has accepted the factual or legal arguments contained in the submission.

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