A former Mayor of Blanco, Texas, United States, Mike Arnold, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu and Washington-based lobbying firm, DCI Group, of allegedly breaching laws in the United States and Nigeria.
Arnold made the allegations in a Facebook post on Monday, claiming that the Federal Government pays DCI Group $750,000 monthly under an agreement registered with the United States Department of Justice.
According to him, the contract was intended to promote Nigeria’s position before US government officials and policymakers on its efforts to protect Christian communities and tackle jihadist activities.
However, Arnold alleged that DCI Group had gone beyond the scope of its declared engagement by mounting social media campaigns against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is being mentioned as a potential challenger to President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The former mayor cited social media posts allegedly linked to the lobbying firm that questioned Atiku’s ability to secure a US visa and made comments about his travel documents.
Arnold argued that such activities were unrelated to the purpose stated in the lobbying agreement, which he said focused on Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts and protection of religious communities.
He also compared the arrangement with Atiku’s reported engagement of another Washington lobbying firm at a cost of $1.2m.
Arnold said registration documents for the firm allegedly showed that it was working for Atiku and against the Nigerian government.
He further raised concerns about possible violations of the US Foreign Agents Registration Act, particularly if political activities undertaken on behalf of a foreign principal were not accurately disclosed.
“In the United States, leaving political work off a FARA filing is not a typo. It can be charged as a felony if they did it on purpose,” Arnold said.
The former mayor also alleged that using public funds for activities aimed at supporting or undermining a political opponent could run afoul of provisions of Nigeria’s Electoral Act.
He called for investigations by relevant law enforcement agencies in both the United States and Nigeria, saying the contract between the Federal Government and DCI Group, alongside the firm’s public communications, could be examined to establish the facts.
The allegations come ahead of the 2027 general elections, with political activities and lobbying efforts involving Nigerian politicians increasingly attracting public attention.
There was no response from the Presidency or DCI Group contained in the report to directly address Arnold’s allegations.