The All Progressives Congress has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to engage a United States-based lobbying firm, DCI Group, describing the public outrage as misguided and rooted in ignorance of how modern governments advance national interests.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Lagos APC spokesman, Seye Oladejo, the ruling party said the criticism from opposition figures over the $9m contract betrayed either “a grave misunderstanding of global diplomacy” or a deliberate attempt to mislead Nigerians.
The Federal Government reportedly hired DCI Group to lobby policymakers in Washington, particularly to counter negative perceptions about Nigeria’s security situation and reassure U.S. authorities that the Tinubu administration is taking concrete steps to combat terrorism, especially in the North.
According to reports, the government has already paid the firm an initial $4.5m retainer on December 12, 2025, with a second tranche expected in July 2026 for a six-month engagement.
Opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party and African Democratic Congress, had condemned the deal as insensitive, arguing that it was unjustifiable at a time Nigerians were grappling with insecurity and economic hardship.
But the APC dismissed the backlash, insisting that lobbying was a legitimate and globally accepted instrument of statecraft.
“Lobbying is a universal, lawful and widely deployed practice,” Oladejo said. “Governments across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa routinely engage public affairs firms to attract investment, promote trade, correct misinformation and deepen diplomatic cooperation.
Nigeria’s action is neither novel nor improper; it is standard global practice.”
The ruling party accused the opposition of engaging in what it described as years of “demarketing Nigeria internationally” while now pretending to be concerned about the country’s image abroad.
“The discomfort of the opposition does not stem from probity, but from the realisation that Nigeria has chosen confidence over apology, engagement over silence and leadership over provincial thinking,” the statement added.
The APC further said the Tinubu administration was using legitimate global platforms to project Nigeria’s reforms, priorities and progress, stressing that strategic international advocacy was necessary in a competitive world order.
“The government is proactively protecting Nigeria’s interests and ensuring the true Nigerian story is told from a positive, factual and forward-looking perspective, rather than by those driven by cynicism and misinformation,” it said.
The party urged Nigerians to ignore what it called “manufactured hysteria” and remain focused on reclaiming Nigeria’s voice and standing on the global stage.
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