The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticised the Federal Government over reports that it approved a $9 million public relations and lobbying contract in the United States, describing the move as “defective and deceptive.”
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party expressed outrage over revelations that the Nigerian government, through Aster Legal, engaged DCI Group, a US-based public affairs and lobbying firm, to “assist the Nigerian government in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities…”
According to the PDP, the contract is expected to run for an initial six months, with an automatic renewal for another six months.
The party described the development as “disturbing” and “shameful,” arguing that it raises serious questions about the administration’s confidence in its own information machinery.
> “This revelation is as disturbing as it is shameful that a government with a full Ministry of Information and a litany of media aides will be paying a foreign firm to launder its image,” the PDP said.
The party further claimed that the deal suggests a lack of trust by the President in the Ministry of Information and his media team, despite what it described as the ministry’s recent display of professionalism.
> “This is a clear indication that the President does not have confidence in the Ministry of Information and his media aides, whereas the Ministry of Information is manned by a seasoned professionals led by a Public Relations expert-who has in the last few years exhibited maturity and responsibility in the management of government information,” the statement added.
PDP Demands Clarification from Presidency
Beyond condemning the contract, the PDP formally demanded explanations from the Presidency, raising four critical questions:
1. “Was this contract budgeted for in the 2025 budget?”
2. “Why was it done through a private law firm and not the Federal Ministry of Justice?”
3. “What are the duties of the Information and Public Relations officers in the diplomatic missions abroad?”
4. “What are the Key Performance Indicators for this contract?”
The opposition party also warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that public relations efforts cannot replace the daily realities Nigerians face.
> “No lobbying or strategic communication firm can create narratives that will replace the lived experiences of the people, in contemporary times, where the world is a global village,” the PDP stated.
It advised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to focus on tangible security improvements rather than what it called “deceptive communication.”
> “If the @officialABAT administration is desirous of changing the perception of the country abroad, it should invest more in the security of lives and property, not in deceptive communication,” the statement read.
The PDP further asserted that insecurity in the country has reached alarming levels.
> “The undeniable truth is that Nigerians have not felt this insecure, even during the civil war,” it added.
Call for Focus on Security, Not Optics
Emphasising the need for inclusive safety, the party urged the President to prioritise the protection of all Nigerians, regardless of religious affiliation.
> “The President should be more interested in ensuring that all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, are safe and free to worship God in their chosen way, and that mass killings are reduced to the barest minimum,” the party said.
The statement concluded with a call for a shift away from what it described as superficial image-polishing.
> “Finally, we call on the President to reduce his administration’s appetite for easy public validation through ephemeral optics and rather concentrate on the hard task of providing sustainable solutions to the nation’s primary challenge – insecurity.”
The statement was signed and dated January 14, 2026, by Comrade Ini Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
