The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has called on United States President Donald Trump and his administration to disregard what he described as politically driven lobbying surrounding historical US law enforcement records connected to President Bola Tinubu.
Agbese also cautioned opposition politicians against undermining Nigeria’s international reputation in pursuit of political gains ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Benue lawmaker made the remarks in Abuja on Thursday while speaking with journalists about recent lobbying efforts in Washington seeking to draw the attention of Trump administration officials and members of the US Congress to allegations involving Tinubu.
According to Agbese, political disputes should not be allowed to damage Nigeria’s reputation or negatively affect citizens who live, work and conduct businesses abroad.
“This has gone beyond politics. When desperate politicians begin to export their political battles and package Nigeria as a country whose leadership is allegedly built around criminality, they are not hurting President Tinubu alone.
“They are damaging the image of every Nigerian who travels, studies, works, does business or seeks opportunities abroad.”
He therefore appealed to Trump and his administration to carefully assess the intentions and credibility of individuals and organisations claiming to represent Nigeria’s interests before relying on information presented through political lobbying.
“We call on President Trump and his administration to ignore elements whose new responsibility appears to be blackmailing the Federal Government of Nigeria and, by extension, the Nigerian people who are earnestly earning a living abroad.
“America and Nigeria have a relationship that is far bigger than the ambitions of desperate politicians. That relationship should be built around security, trade, investment, development and the mutual interests of both countries, not opposition-sponsored campaigns designed to influence Washington against Nigeria,” he said.
Agbese maintained that opposition politicians had the right to criticise the Federal Government and oppose policies of the Tinubu administration, but argued that foreign governments and institutions should not be drawn into domestic political disagreements.
He also advised the Federal Government to remain focused and avoid being distracted by what he called politically motivated efforts to generate international controversy around the President as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Political competition is legitimate, but there must be a line that every responsible politician must refuse to cross. You cannot spend your time telling the world that your own country is being led by criminals simply because you want to defeat the person in power.
“At some point, you must ask what happens to the Nigerian student seeking admission, the entrepreneur looking for an international partner, the professional applying for a job and the millions of Nigerians whose identity is tied to this country,” he said.
The lawmaker also raised concerns over the use of decades-old documents from a civil forfeiture proceeding to characterise Nigeria’s current political leadership, particularly when the materials are being promoted as the 2027 general elections approach.
He urged Nigerians to consider the broader implications of political campaigns that present the country negatively to foreign governments and international institutions.
“We must stop treating Nigeria’s international reputation as collateral damage in our political contests. Whoever wins an election will still inherit the same country, and whoever loses will remain a Nigerian.
“You cannot destroy the country’s reputation today and expect ordinary Nigerians to escape the consequences tomorrow. The damage will show up in business relationships, immigration decisions, investment opportunities and the treatment of our citizens abroad.”
Agbese said the House of Representatives would remain committed to protecting Nigeria’s national interests while urging political actors to resolve their differences through the nation’s democratic and judicial institutions.
The comments came less than 48 hours after the Presidency rejected reports and lobbying efforts seeking the release of historical US law enforcement records concerning Tinubu, describing the campaign as politically motivated.
The Presidency had also condemned the reported engagement of Washington-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over the records, alleging that the move was intended to fuel political controversy ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, expressed the Presidency’s position in a statement released on Tuesday titled, “Speculation as Classified Information: Atiku’s $1.2 million Lobbying Gamble Exposed.”
Dare accused the Washington-based firm of presenting political claims as intelligence reports and seeking to give the impression that its assertions reflected the official position of the United States government.