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A Washington-based lobbying firm has announced plans to present Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo’s social media activity to the Donald Trump administration and members of the United States Congress, alleging that the Nigerian government is interfering in the 2027 elections.
The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, stated this in response to Keyamo’s post on X celebrating a High Court judgement that nullified the presidential candidacy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a post on its official X handle, the firm wrote: “We are going to be presenting the @X post of @fkeyamo, President Tinubu’s Minister of Aviation, whose government portfolio has nothing to do with elections or electoral integrity, openly celebrating what a senior congressional staffer described as an ‘open display of election interference by the Nigerian government,’ to members of the @realDonaldTrump administration and Congress.”
The firm also issued a warning to the Nigerian President, predicting political consequences for the administration.
“We have a prediction for current Nigerian President Tinubu: In a few months, you are going to look at this court ruling and @fkeyamo’s post as the defining moment when the rope the United States has been giving you to figuratively hang yourself finally became the instrument of your own political downfall.”
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had responded to the firm’s initial statement with laughing emojis (“😂😂😂”) on Thursday night.
Earlier, following the court’s ruling, he had written on X: “Justice may be slow, but it is always SURE!”
He also accused the David Mark-led faction of illegally hijacking the party without the required approval of a mini national convention or the National Executive Committee.
😂😂😂
— Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK) (@fkeyamo) November 5, 2026
The dispute comes from a High Court judgement delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on November 5, 2026, which declared the David Mark-led caretaker committee of the ADC illegal.
The court voided all actions taken by the committee, including the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate and other candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The ruling also annulled the emergence of former Senate President David Mark as national chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary.
The suit was filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who argued that after the resignation of previous National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, he was entitled under the party constitution to assume leadership.
The ADC has rejected the ruling and stated it will appeal. Its Presidential Campaign Council says its lawyers are preparing to seek a stay of execution of Thursday’s Federal High Court judgement invalidating Atiku’s nomination as ADC presidential candidate and nullifying the party’s David Mark-led leadership.
Atiku also rejected the ruling and promised to challenge it at the Court of Appeal, insisting that his campaign would continue in Kebbi State following Wednesday’s launch in Sokoto.
