APC Fires Back at Opposition: Lobbying Engagement with U.S. Firm Legal

The opposition’s responses to the engagement of a US-based lobbying firm have been criticized by the All Progressives Congress (APC), which asserts that lobbying is not illegal.

In a statement released on Friday and signed by Mogaji (Hon.) Seye Oladejo, the spokesperson for the party’s Lagos State chapter, the party stated that governments in both developed and developing nations frequently work with lobbying and public affairs firms, especially in strategic capitals like Washington, to advance national interests, draw in investment, dispel false information, and bolster diplomatic and security cooperation.

“The Lagos State Chapter of the APC has observed the orchestrated outrage and selective indignation of the opposition over Nigeria’s engagement of a U.S.-based lobbying firm,” the statement said. Despite being loud, this agitation reveals either a serious lack of knowledge about contemporary governance or a purposeful attempt to deceive the people.

It is important to reiterate that lobbying is a common, legal, and extensively used tool of statecraft. In order to advance national interests, draw in investment, dispel false information, and bolster diplomatic and security cooperation, governments from developed democracies to developing nations frequently work with lobbying and public relations firms, especially in crucial capitals like Washington. These companies are used by nations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa to influence politics, increase commerce, obtain development aid, and safeguard key assets. Therefore, Nigeria’s action is neither new nor inappropriate; rather, it is a common practice throughout the world.

This interaction unmistakably marks the end of the opposition’s unchecked demarketing of Nigeria in front of the international community. The Federal Government is aware of the vast resources the opposition has historically used to denigrate the nation abroad, but ironically, they are still frustrated that their constant Armageddon and doom prophecies have not come to pass.

“The government has made sure that the true Nigerian story will now be told in truth and in deed—from a positive, factual, and forward-looking perspective, not by those driven by cynicism, misinformation, and a destructive political agenda—by proactively projecting Nigeria’s reforms, priorities, and progress through legitimate global channels.

“The opposition’s unease stems from the understanding that Nigeria has chosen confidence over apologies, engagement over silence, and leadership over provincial thinking, not from concerns about probity. In a competitive global order, strategic foreign advocacy is essential and not illegal.

“We implore Nigerians to look past the manufactured hysteria and stay focused on the greater picture: a Nigeria that is reclaiming its voice, defending its interests, and asserting its rightful place on the global stage.”