The opposition has been criticized by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for their responses to a U.S.-based lobbying firm’s engagement, claiming 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 fortify diplomatic and security cooperation.
“The Lagos State Chapter of the APC has observed the coordinated outrage and selective indignation of the opposition over Nigeria’s engagement of a U.S.-based lobbying firm,” the statement said. Despite its loudness, this agitation reveals either a serious lack of knowledge about contemporary administration or a conscious attempt to deceive the people.
It is important to reiterate that lobbying is a universal, legal, and extensively used tool of statecraft. Governments in both developed and developing nations frequently work with lobbying and public relations firms, especially in major capitals like Washington, to advance national interests, draw in investment, dispel false information, and bolster diplomatic and security cooperation. Such businesses are used by nations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa to protect key assets, increase commerce, get development assistance, and influence policy. Therefore, Nigeria’s action is neither unique nor inappropriate; rather, it is a common practice throughout the world.
The opposition’s unchecked demarketing of Nigeria in front of the international community is definitely coming to a stop with this engagement. Paradoxically, the Federal Government is nevertheless unhappy that the opposition’s constant warnings of Armageddon and doom have not come to pass, even though it is aware of the vast resources the opposition has historically used to talk the nation down globally.
“The government has made sure that the true Nigerian story will now be told in truth and in action—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 global channels.
“The opposition’s unease stems from the realization that Nigeria has chosen confidence over apology, engagement over silence, and leadership over provincial thinking, not from concern for probity.” In a competitive global order, strategic foreign lobbying is not illegal.
“We implore Nigerians to look past the manufactured hysteria and stay focused on the larger picture: a Nigeria that is reclaiming its voice, defending its interests, and asserting its rightful place on the global stage.”