All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Bashir Ahmad has dismissed claims by a United States lobbying firm that President Bola Tinubu will not be granted a private meeting with US President Donald Trump.
The US-based firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, had claimed that a proposed meeting between Tinubu and Trump during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York would not take place.
The firm attributed its position to what it described as assurances from key members of the Trump administration, alleging that Trump would not privately meet with a person facing heroin-trafficking allegations.
Reacting to the claim, Ahmad described the statement as a political attack presented with unwarranted certainty.
The APC chieftain stressed that Tinubu remains Nigeria’s democratically elected president, arguing that allegations should not be treated as established facts without credible evidence and due process.
He also criticised the firm for predicting Trump’s actions ahead of the UNGA, saying it was irresponsible to declare that the US president would refuse to meet Tinubu or that the Nigerian leader would be embarrassed at the international gathering.
Ahmad maintained that unless the White House or relevant US diplomatic authorities officially confirm such a position, the lobbying firm’s claim should be regarded as speculation rather than established fact.
He urged that serious allegations against public officials be assessed through credible evidence and proper legal processes rather than political narratives.
