It has been Observed by international analysts and commentators that Karl Von Batten, a Washington-based lobbyist hired by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has deleted a social media post in which he claimed that US President Donald Trump appointed him as a commissioner to a White House presidential commission.
The post, originally published on the verified X account of his firm – Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. is no longer accessible. President Tinubu’s media aide, Sunday Dare, had already downplayed the announcement, clarifying that the appointment was actually to the Commission on Presidential Scholars – an education panel under the US Department of Education – which carries no weight over American foreign policy, national security, or bilateral relations with Nigeria.
Von Batten, who was retained by Atiku for $1.2 million annually to bolster his reputation in Washington, has also been actively pushing for the release of US law enforcement records concerning President Tinubu over alleged drug trafficking links.
Adding to the controversy, Podium Reporters recently exposed that Von Batten is facing a damning perjury scandal. He is accused of falsely claiming US birth on his FARA filings swearing under penalty of perjury that he was born in America, while his naturalisation certificate lists Nigeria as his birthplace. This constitutes a serious federal offence that could lead to up to five years in federal prison and possible deportation. The lobbyist also operates under multiple aliases, including Ikemefuna Okeke and Karl-Marx Edward Ikemefuna William George Okeke-Von Batten, raising further questions about his identity.
His deletion of the Trump appointment post, first flagged by Podium Reporters, raises serious questions about the veracity of his claims adding yet another layer to the growing web of controversy surrounding Atiku’s $1.2 million lobbyist.