US Court Filing Alleges Tinubu Govt Pays DCI-Linked Lobbying Firm $750,000 Monthly
Washington/Abuja—October 9, 2026—A fresh filing in a United States federal court has drawn renewed attention to a costly lobbying arrangement between the Nigerian government and a Washington-based public affairs firm, alleging that the Bola Tinubu administration pays DCI Group AZ, LLC $750,000 every month.
The claim appears in documents submitted on October 8 by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan in his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against US government agencies.
Greenspan is seeking records related to an alleged federal investigation in the early 1990s involving then-private citizen Bola Tinubu and Abiodun Agbele.
President Tinubu intervened in the case in October 2023, citing privacy interests in confidential tax and law enforcement documents.
According to the filing, DCI Group AZ—an affiliate linked to the established US public affairs firm DCI Group—“is paid $750,000 per month by Intervenor’s government.”
The document also notes that an account managed by the firm published a post attacking Greenspan on August 5, 2026.
Greenspan is pressing for limited discovery, including questions and document requests directed at Tinubu and the lobbying firm, in connection with repeated cyberattacks on his website, PlainSite.
Importantly, the filing does not establish that the Nigerian government directed or financed any of the alleged online attacks, nor does it prove a direct link between the monthly payments and the critical post.
Documented Contract Confirms High-Value Arrangement
The $750,000 monthly figure is not merely an allegation in the latest court papers. US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings show that in December 2025, Kaduna-based law firm Aster Legal retained DCI Group on behalf of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The agreement provided for a $750,000 monthly retainer. Nigeria paid $4.5 million upfront for the first six months, with an automatic renewal clause that could take the total value to approximately $9 million over a full year.
The stated purpose of the engagement is to help the Nigerian government communicate its actions to protect Christian communities and to sustain American support for counter-terrorism efforts against jihadist groups and other destabilizing forces in West Africa.
The contract has been one of the largest lobbying deals signed by an African government in recent years and has already sparked domestic debate over its cost at a time of economic pressure in Nigeria.
Broader Context of a Contentious Legal Battle
Greenspan’s FOIA case has stretched for years. In April 2025, US District Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled that the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration could no longer maintain blanket refusals to confirm or deny the existence of responsive records, though the CIA’s similar stance was upheld.
The latest filing seeks judicial notice of public records and supports Greenspan’s request for limited discovery.
The activist has pointed to technical reports from his website’s internet service provider documenting large-scale denial-of-service attacks, some of which intensified around court filing deadlines.
Tinubu’s legal team has previously argued that there is no independent verification of the attacks. Greenspan has countered with detailed mitigation data and noted that the Presidency and its representatives have not denied involvement by the government or parties acting on its behalf.
Public and Political Reaction
The revelation of the monthly payments has intensified scrutiny of Nigeria’s spending on foreign influence operations.
Critics question whether such large sums could be better directed toward domestic needs, while supporters argue that professional advocacy in Washington is necessary to counter negative narratives and protect national security interests.
Parallel lobbying activity by political rivals has also been documented under FARA, underscoring the high-stakes information battle surrounding Nigerian politics in the US capital.
As the court considers Greenspan’s requests, the filings continue to keep the spotlight on both the substance of the decades-old records at issue and the modern machinery of influence peddling that surrounds them. No final ruling on the discovery motion or the underlying FOIA claims has been issued.
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