Trump’s Letter: Tinubu trying to fool Nigerians – Atiku U.S lobby firm claims

An American lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has questioned the authenticity of the purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu, saying the version released by the Nigerian Presidency raises serious concerns.

In a post on X, the firm compared what it described as an authentic letter sent by President Trump to Argentine President Javier Milei with the version published by an account linked to President Tinubu, PBATMediaCentre, and argued that the formatting and presentation were significantly different.

According to the lobbying firm, the document circulated by the Nigerian Presidency does not resemble the standard format of official correspondence typically issued by the US President.

The firm, however, said it was not alleging that no diplomatic communication was sent to President Tinubu or directly accusing the Nigerian leader of fabricating the letter.

“We are not saying that a standard diplomatic response letter was never sent to President Tinubu. Nor are we saying that President Tinubu fabricated the purported letter. After all, Tinubu’s staff could easily create a fake letter tomorrow and post it as a rebuttal,” the firm stated.

It added that the decision to release only the text of the correspondence, rather than a scanned copy of the original document, had fuelled public doubts about its authenticity.

“What we are saying is that it is unusual for a letter to be quoted in full, including the date and signature block, instead of simply publishing an image of the original letter. Until the actual letter is released, whether real or fake, Nigerians must understand that Tinubu is trying to fool you,” the statement added.

The controversy follows the Presidency’s publication of what it described as a letter from President Trump, dated July 6, 2026, praising President Tinubu’s leadership in tackling terrorism and reaffirming security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.

The letter was made public on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

In the purported correspondence, Trump thanked Tinubu for his earlier letter and commended his administration’s efforts to combat insecurity, particularly attacks on Christian communities.

“Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities, and it is a true honor to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” the letter read.

The document also described Nigeria’s relationship with the United States as vital at a time of growing insecurity across West Africa and other parts of the world.

It further claimed that elite United States Special Operations Forces had been deployed to train Nigerian troops and strengthen their intelligence-gathering and operational capabilities.

“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack. I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency,” the letter stated.

The Presidency has yet to respond to the concerns raised by the American lobbying firm regarding the authenticity and presentation of the document.

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