APC Defends U.S. Firm Engagement, Says Lobbying by Government Is Not a Crime

The opposition’s responses to the involvement of a U.S.-based lobbying firm have been criticized by the All Progressives Congress (APC), which claims 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 enhance diplomatic and security cooperation.

“The Lagos State Chapter of the APC has witnessed the coordinated indignation and selective outrage of the opposition over Nigeria’s engagement of a U.S.-based lobbying firm,” the statement says. Despite being loud, this agitation reveals either a serious lack of knowledge about contemporary administration or a conscious effort to deceive the people.

It is important to emphasize 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 economies frequently work with lobbying and public relations firms, especially in critical capitals like Washington. These companies are used by nations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa to get development assistance, increase commerce, influence policy, and safeguard key assets. Therefore, Nigeria’s move is neither unique nor inappropriate; rather, it is a common practice worldwide.

The end of the opposition’s unchecked demarketing of Nigeria before the international community is what this participation unmistakably represents. 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 frequent 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 international 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 concern for probity. In a competitive global order, strategic foreign advocacy is essential, not illegal.

“We implore Nigerians to look past the manufactured panic and keep their eyes on the greater picture: a Nigeria that is reclaiming its voice, protecting its interests, and asserting its rightful place on the international stage.”