The contract is aimed at persuading the Trump administration and key U.S. lawmakers that Nigeria is taking concrete steps to address insecurity, particularly the killings of Christians in the country’s northern region.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Federal Government over the reported engagement of a United States lobbying firm, DCI Group, at the cost of $9 million, describing the contract as “defective and deceptive.”
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party said it was disturbed by revelations that the Nigerian Government, through Aster Legal, hired the American public affairs firm to help “communicate its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu’s administration approved a controversial $9 million lobbying contract with a Republican-linked firm in Washington as it seeks to placate United States President, Donald Trump, and stave off further military actions and diplomatic measures that could undermine Nigeria’s international standing and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to an investigative report published on Tuesday by The Africa Report, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, facilitated the engagement of the U.S. lobbying firm, DCI Group, through a Kaduna-based law firm, Aster Legal.
The contract is aimed at persuading the Trump administration and key U.S. lawmakers that Nigeria is taking concrete steps to address insecurity, particularly the killings of Christians in the country’s northern region.
U.S. Department of Justice filings cited in the report show that the Tinubu administration has already paid DCI Group an initial $4.5 million tranche on December 12, 2025.
The payment serves as a six-month retainer, with a second $4.5 million instalment due by July 2026, bringing the total value of the deal to $9 million, or $750,000 per month, one of the most expensive lobbying contracts ever signed by an African government.
The filings state that DCI Group was hired to assist the Nigerian government in communicating its actions to protect Nigeria’s Christian communities and maintaining U.S. support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilising elements.
The agreement bears the signatures of Aster Legal’s Managing Director, Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim, and DCI Group’s Managing Partner, Justin Peterson, a prominent Republican strategist and close ally of President Trump who previously served on Puerto Rico’s fiscal management board during Trump’s first term in office.
The contract was finalised just weeks after President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over what he described as the Nigerian government’s failure to stop widespread and unchecked killings of Christians.
Four days after the lobbying deal was sealed, the U.S. imposed a partial travel ban on Nigerians, affecting tourist, business and student visa applicants.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration cited high visa overstay rates and the absence of what it called a reliable Nigerian security framework for vetting travellers.
But PDP argued that the decision to employ a foreign firm for image laundering was shameful, especially when the country already has a fully funded Ministry of Information and numerous media aides.
“This is a clear indication that the President does not have confidence in the Ministry of Information and his media aides,” the statement read.
The party noted that the ministry is led by seasoned professionals, including a public relations expert who, according to it, has demonstrated maturity in managing government information in recent years.
The opposition party consequently demanded answers from the Presidency, raising a number of questions regarding the deal.
It asked whether the contract was captured in the 2025 budget, why it was executed through a private law firm instead of the Federal Ministry of Justice, and what roles Nigerian information officers in diplomatic missions abroad were expected to play.
The PDP also requested disclosure of the Key Performance Indicators attached to the contract to enable Nigerians assess its value.
The party maintained that no lobbying or communication strategy could replace the real-life experiences of citizens.
It advised the administration of President Tinubu to focus on improving security rather than investing in what it termed “deceptive communication.”
“If the administration is desirous of changing the perception of the country abroad, it should invest more in the security of lives and property. The undeniable truth is that Nigerians have not felt this insecure, even during the civil war,” the statement added.
The PDP urged the President to prioritise the safety of all Nigerians irrespective of religion, stressing that only a significant reduction in mass killings and insecurity would naturally improve the nation’s global image.
It further called on the government to reduce its “appetite for easy public validation through ephemeral optics” and concentrate on delivering sustainable solutions to insecurity, which it described as Nigeria’s primary challenge.