Atiku: PDP hires Trump’s lobbyist for N31.5m per month
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has engaged the services of top United States firm and lobbyist, Brian Ballard, to work with it for the successful emergence of its candidate, Atiku Abubakar as Nigeria’s president come 2019, TheCable has exclusively disclosed in a report.
The firm, which lobbied for the current U.S President, Donald Trump, has a contract with PDP on a monthly payment of $90 thousand Dollars (N31.5m).
The contract which will last for one year will cumulatively fetch the firm N400 million naira at the end of the year.
The contract was signed, on behalf of PDP, by the former minister of aviation Osita Chidoka, on September 21, 2018.
“This contract is entered into between the Peoples Democratic Party of Nigeria (“the Client”), Plot l970 Michael Okpara Street, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, and Ballard Partners, Inc. (“the F irm”), 601 13th Street NW, Suite 450N, Washington, D. C. 20005,” the agreement read.
“This agreement shall automatically renew for successive one-year periods on the anniversary of the effective date of the agreement unless either party terminates the agreement. Upon renewal this agreement may be terminated within thirty (30) days written notice by either party.”
Duties to be done for the PDP by the firm includes: Strengthening democratic values in Nigeria, maintaining secure conditions in Nigeria during elections among others.
“Duties of the firm. It shall be the Firm’s duty to consult with the Client and advocate on its behalf those issues the client deems necessary and appropriate before the US Federal government. Issues and objectives may include, but not be limited to, enhancement of US Nigerian relations; strengthening and advancing democratic values and the rule of law in Nigeria, with a special focus in the coming months on maintaining political and security conditions free of intimidation and interference in order to ensure the success and fairness of Nigeria’s national election for president in 2019. It shall further be the Firm’s duty to inform the Client of developments in legislation and policy relevant to the Client’s issues and objectives.
“It shall be the Client’s duty to provide the Firm the information necessary to best represent the Client. It shall also be the Client’s duty to timely compensate the Firm for its services.
“Compensation. The Firm shall receive from the Client $90,000 a month, payable in quarterly installments for this agreement, plus the reasonable costs associated with the representation, including but not limited to, necessary registration fees; and travel expenses.”
Recall that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had, in 2014, engaged the services of AKPD Media and Messages, a top US firm that worked for former U.S President, Barrack Obama, as political strategists. (Vanguard)
