By Ado Oyeyemi
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has launched a scathing attack on United States based lobbyist, Karl Ikemefuna Von Batten, accusing him of spreading what he described as false information about President Bola Tinubu.
Fani-Kayode, who is also an ambassador designate to South Africa, made the allegations in a statement shared on his X handle on Tuesday.
He claimed that his email and social media direct messages had been inundated with materials allegedly circulated by Von Batten and his public relations and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York LC, concerning the Nigerian President.
Describing the materials as “hogwash,” the former minister accused the US based lobbyist of attempting to portray Tinubu as a criminal despite the President not having been convicted of any offence.
Fani-Kayode also dismissed an allegation that Tinubu had attempted to pay Von Batten $3m through an associate to persuade him to stop pursuing matters concerning the President.
He challenged the lobbyist to produce evidence to substantiate the claim, insisting that the legal proceedings involving Tinubu in the United States should be allowed to take their course.
According to Fani-Kayode, the case would ultimately amount to nothing, aligning himself with the position reportedly expressed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who described the matter as “a storm in a teacup.”
The former minister said he was confident that the American judicial system would uphold the rule of law and protect what he described as Tinubu’s legitimate privacy rights.
Fani-Kayode further accused Von Batten of being personally obsessed with the issue and questioned aspects of his background, including his identity and claimed educational history.
He alleged that the lobbyist had previously been known by the Nigerian name Ikemefuna Okeke before adopting the surname Von Batten, which he claimed followed his marriage to Elizabeth Von Batten.
The former minister also alleged that Von Batten had been engaged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and paid $1.2m to pursue legal and lobbying activities against Tinubu.
He accused the lobbyist of misleading Atiku into funding what he described as an unsuccessful campaign against the President.
Fani-Kayode also questioned claims concerning Von Batten’s academic qualifications, saying he had not seen publicly available evidence confirming the lobbyist’s alleged attendance at institutions such as Oxford, Columbia, Harvard, Cornell and the New York Institute of Technology.
He maintained that neither legal proceedings in the United States nor lobbying efforts would determine Tinubu’s political future.
“President Tinubu’s destiny and fate is not in your hands but rather in the hands of God and the Nigerian people,” he said.
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Fani-Kayode added that social media campaigns and lobbying activities would not determine the outcome of the political controversies surrounding the President, insisting that Tinubu would remain focused on his administration and political future.
