The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed criticisms from opposition parties over the Federal Government’s engagement of a United States-based lobbying firm, describing them as misguided and rooted in either poor understanding of modern governance or deliberate attempts to mislead the public.
In a statement on Friday, the party’s spokesperson, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, said the reactions ignored the established role of lobbying as a lawful and widely accepted tool of international diplomacy and statecraft.
“Governments across advanced democracies and emerging economies routinely engage lobbying and public affairs firms in strategic global capitals such as Washington to promote national interests, attract foreign investment, correct misinformation, and strengthen diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation,” Oladejo said.
He noted that Nigeria’s engagement aligns with global best practices and does not amount to impropriety. The APC described the move as a decisive step to counter what it termed years of sustained demarketing of Nigeria by opposition elements abroad.
“Strategic international advocacy is not a crime; it is a necessity in a competitive global order,” the statement added.
Oladejo stressed that the initiative ensures Nigeria’s reforms, policy priorities, and progress are communicated accurately and constructively, rather than allowing narratives to be shaped by cynicism, misinformation, and partisan interests.
“What this engagement clearly signifies is the end of the opposition’s unrestrained demarketing of Nigeria before the comity of nations,” he said. “By proactively projecting Nigeria’s reforms, priorities, and progress through legitimate global channels, the government has ensured the true Nigerian story will now be told in truth and in deed—from a positive, factual, and forward-looking perspective.”
The Lagos APC urged Nigerians to look beyond what it described as manufactured hysteria and focus on the broader objective of repositioning Nigeria on the global stage.
