American lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has cast doubt on the authenticity of the purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu, saying the version released by the Nigerian Presidency raises serious concerns.
The firm made its position known in a post on X after comparing what it described as an authentic letter sent by President Trump to Argentine President Javier Milei with the document shared by an account associated with President Tinubu, using the Facebook handle PBATMediaCentre.
According to the lobbying firm, the format and presentation of the letter circulated by the Nigerian Presidency differ noticeably from the standard correspondence typically issued by the US President.
It, however, clarified that it was neither suggesting that no diplomatic response had been sent to Tinubu nor directly accusing the Nigerian leader of fabricating the document, but maintained that the method of its publication had raised questions.
It stated, “A Tale of Two Letters: On the left, we have an actual copy of President @realDonaldTrump’s letter to Argentine President @JMilei. On the right, we have what an account linked to President #Tinubu, using the Facebook handle @PBATMediaCentre, has posted as President Trump’s letter to President Tinubu. The difference is beyond clear.”
The firm added, “We are not saying that a standard diplomatic response letter was never sent to President Tinubu. Nor are we saying that President Tinubu fabricated the purported letter. After all, Tinubu’s staff could easily create a fake letter tomorrow and post it as a rebuttal.”
It further argued that publishing only the text of the correspondence, instead of releasing a scanned copy of the original document, had intensified doubts over its authenticity.
“What we are saying is that it is unusual for a letter to be quoted in full, including the date and signature block, rather than simply publishing an image of the actual letter itself. Until the actual letter is released, whether real or fake, Nigerians must understand that Tinubu is trying to fool you,” the firm said.
The remarks followed the Presidency’s release of what it described as a letter from President Trump commending Tinubu’s leadership in tackling terrorism and reaffirming security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
Dated July 6, 2026, the letter was made public on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In the correspondence, Trump expressed appreciation for Tinubu’s earlier message and praised his administration’s efforts to combat insecurity, particularly attacks targeting Christian communities.
“Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities and it is a true honor to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” Trump wrote.
The US President also described the relationship between Nigeria and the United States as increasingly important amid growing security challenges across West Africa and other parts of the world.
“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time where conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat,” he said.
Trump further disclosed that elite United States Special Operations Forces had been deployed to support the training of Nigerian troops and enhance their operational and intelligence capabilities.
“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack. I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency,” the letter added.
