NEWS
Former Texas Mayor, Mike Arnold, Accuses Tinubu Administration, U.S Lobbying Firm, DCI Group, of Alleged Legal Violations
A former Mayor of Blanco, Texas, in the United States, Mike Arnold, has raised allegations against the administration of President Bola Tinubu and Washington-based lobbying firm, DCI Group, accusing them of potentially violating laws in both the United States and Nigeria.
Arnold made the allegations in a Facebook post on Monday, August 31, 2026, where he questioned the nature and scope of a reported contractual relationship between the Nigerian government and DCI Group.
According to Arnold, the Nigerian government is allegedly paying the lobbying firm $750,000 monthly under a contract filed with the United States Department of Justice.
He claimed that the agreement was primarily designed to communicate with American authorities, lawmakers and policymakers on the Nigerian government’s efforts to protect Christian communities and combat jihadist groups operating in the country.
However, Arnold alleged that DCI Group may have gone beyond the stated purpose of the engagement by becoming involved in activities directed at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is widely regarded as a potential challenger to President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The former mayor pointed to a series of social media posts allegedly linked to the lobbying firm, which questioned Atiku’s ability to secure a United States visa and appeared to mock the former vice president over his travel documents.
Arnold argued that such activities had little connection with the stated objective of promoting Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts and its protection of religious communities.
His allegations have consequently raised questions over whether public funds earmarked for government advocacy in Washington were being used for activities that could have political implications ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Arnold also drew a comparison with Atiku’s reported engagement of another Washington-based lobbying firm at a cost of $1.2 million.
He said registration documents for that separate arrangement reportedly identified the former vice president as the principal behind the engagement and indicated that the lobbying effort was being undertaken against the Nigerian government.
Central to Arnold’s concerns is the United States Foreign Agents Registration Act, commonly known as FARA, which requires certain individuals and organisations acting on behalf of foreign principals to disclose their activities and relationships with the US government and the American public.
According to Arnold, if DCI Group carried out political activities on behalf of a foreign principal without properly declaring those activities under its FARA obligations, the issue could attract serious legal scrutiny.
“In the United States, leaving political work off a FARA filing is not a typo. It can be charged as a felony if they did it on purpose,” Arnold said.
The former mayor further alleged that the matter could also have implications under Nigerian electoral law if public funds were used to support, attack or otherwise influence the political fortunes of candidates or potential candidates.
He specifically pointed to provisions of Nigeria’s Electoral Act dealing with the use of state resources in ways that could favour or undermine political candidates.
Arnold maintained that the reported contract between the Nigerian government and DCI Group, alongside the lobbying firm’s public statements and social media activities, should be subjected to closer scrutiny to determine whether the activities carried out were consistent with the terms of the agreement and applicable laws.
He called on relevant law enforcement and regulatory authorities in both the United States and Nigeria to investigate the allegations and establish whether any laws were breached.
The allegations come as political activity surrounding Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election continues to intensify, with questions over campaign financing, political communication and the use of public resources expected to remain major issues in the months ahead.
Neither the allegations contained in Arnold’s post nor the claims regarding DCI Group’s activities, however, amount to a finding of wrongdoing. Any potential violation of FARA or Nigerian electoral law would ultimately depend on the contents of the relevant filings and contracts, the actual activities undertaken and findings by the competent authorities.