PDP to Tinubu: Alleged $9m contract with US lobbying firm shameful, disturbing

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over reports that the Nigerian government contracted a United States-based lobbying firm with an alleged $9 million agreement, describing the move as “disturbing” and “shameful.”

In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said it was concerned that the federal government, through Aster Legal, engaged DCI Group, a public affairs and lobbying firm in the United States, to “assist the Nigerian government in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities.”

The party noted that the contract is reportedly for six months, with an automatic renewal for another six months, and questioned the necessity of engaging a foreign firm for image management.

“This revelation is as disturbing as it is shameful that a government with a full Ministry of Information and a litany of media aides will be paying a foreign firm to launder its image,” the PDP said.

The party added that the decision raises questions about the administration’s confidence in its own communication structures. According to the statement, “This is a clear indication that the President does not have confidence in the Ministry of Information and his media aides, whereas the Ministry of Information is manned by a seasoned professionals led by a Public Relations expert-who has in the last few years exhibited maturity and responsibility in the management of government information.”

The PDP also demanded clarification from the presidency on several issues, including whether the contract was captured in the 2025 budget, why it was handled through a private law firm instead of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the roles of Information and Public Relations officers in Nigerian diplomatic missions, and the key performance indicators for the contract.

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“Furthermore, we seek clarification from the presidency on the following: 1. Was this contract budgeted for in the 2025 budget? 2. Why was it done through a private law firm and not the Federal Ministry of Justice? 3. What are the duties of the Information and Public Relations officers in the diplomatic missions abroad? 4. What are the Key Performance Indicators for this contract?” the statement said.

The opposition party warned that no amount of lobbying could replace the reality on the ground, especially in relation to insecurity. It said, “Additionally, we remind the APC-led federal government that no lobbying or strategic communication firm can create narratives that will replace the lived experiences of the people, in contemporary times, where the world is a global village.”

The PDP argued that the administration should focus more on improving security rather than spending on image management, adding, “If the Tinubu administration is desirous of changing the perception of the country abroad, it should invest more in the security of lives and property, not in deceptive communication.”

The party further stated that “The undeniable truth is that Nigerians have not felt this insecure, even during the civil war,” and urged the President to ensure the safety of all citizens regardless of religion.

“The President should be more interested in ensuring that all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, are safe and free to worship God in their chosen way, and that mass killings are reduced to the barest minimum,” it said.

The PDP concluded by advising the President to focus on addressing insecurity rather than seeking what it described as “easy public validation through ephemeral optics.”

“Finally, we call on the President to reduce his administration’s appetite for easy public validation through ephemeral optics and rather concentrate on the hard task of providing sustainable solutions to the nation’s primary challenge – insecurity,” the statement added.