A SaharaReporters article dated 4 April 2026 states that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) hired the US lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague York L.C. (also referred to as VonBatten-Montague-York, L.C. or Von Batten-Montague-York LC) to influence the Trump administration regarding the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s suspension of recognition of the ADC leadership. The article claims the firm had “only one client” and “zero revenue in 2025” based on public lobbying disclosures, and that it declared assets of approximately $5,000.

Dual US lobbying disclosure systems
US lobbying activity is governed by two separate laws. Domestic lobbying (for US-based clients) is disclosed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) and tracked by databases such as OpenSecrets, which compiles filings from the Senate Office of Public Records.

Foreign lobbying (for foreign governments, political parties or entities) is disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), administered by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). FARA filings are publicly available via the DOJ’s efile system and are not included in LDA/OpenSecrets data.

OpenSecrets records for Von Batten-Montague-York LC show the firm was retained by 1 client in 2025 for a total of $0. No other LDA activity or revenue appears for that year.

Zero revenue claim and FARA filings
Public FARA records confirm the firm’s registration number 7130 with the DOJ. In April 2026, it filed a FARA short-form registration and amendment for a $1.2 million, 12-month contract with former Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar (a foreign principal and 2027 presidential aspirant associated with the ADC).

The agreement was signed in March 2026 and registered with the FARA Unit on or around 1 April 2026. The contract covers government affairs, strategic advisory services, lobbying with Congress and the executive branch, and perception management concerning democratic governance and US-Nigeria relations.

No public FARA filing specifically naming the ADC as principal has been identified in searches of DOJ records or news reports as of 6 April 2026. However, the firm publicly announced on 2 April 2026 that it would brief US Congress and the Trump administration on INEC’s suspension of ADC leadership recognition, framing the issue as affecting opposition participation ahead of Nigeria’s elections.

Unverified financial figures
The SaharaReporters article states the firm “declared assets estimated at just $5,000.” No specific public document (LDA filing, FARA exhibit, or other disclosure) is linked or quoted to support this figure. Standard LDA and FARA forms report compensation received from clients, lobbying expenditures, and activities not total firm assets or balance-sheet figures. OpenSecrets and Senate LDA records for the firm contain no such asset declaration.

Characterisation of ADC

The firm’s own public statement (quoted in the SaharaReporters article) refers to the ADC as “Nigeria’s main opposition political party.” This characterisation is inaccurate. The National Assembly opposition is dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), which hold the largest numbers of opposition seats following the 2023 general elections. The ADC is a body of coalition also registered political parties but does not rank among the primary opposition parties by parliamentary representation or national vote share, using previous records.

Verdict -MISLEADING

The claim that the firm hired by the ADC has “only one client” and “zero revenue in 2025” is misleading. It is based solely on incomplete LDA data from OpenSecrets, which does not capture foreign-agent activity under FARA. Official records show the firm is FARA-registered and has secured a $1.2 million contract with a foreign principal in 2026; its 2025 LDA filings reflect zero domestic lobbying activity, consistent with a focus on foreign clients.

The $5,000 assets figure is unsupported by any publicly identifiable lobbying disclosure document cited in the original report. The description of the ADC as Nigeria’s “main opposition party” is inaccurate based on parliamentary composition and electoral outcomes.

Sources:
This fact-check relies exclusively on publicly available official US disclosure records (OpenSecrets LDA data and DOJ FARA filings) and the firm’s own public statement.