The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the Tinubu administration’s $9 million contract with US lobbying firm DCI Group, describing it as a “disturbing” and “shameful” attempt to outsource Nigeria’s image management abroad amid rising insecurity.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party accused the government of lacking confidence in its Ministry of Information and media aides—despite being led by seasoned professionals.
The deal, facilitated through Kaduna-based Aster Legal on behalf of the Office of the National Security Adviser and filed with the US Department of Justice, provides for an initial six-month term at $750,000 monthly ($4.5 million upfront), with automatic renewal.
DCI Group is tasked with “communicating [Nigeria’s] actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities” and sustaining US support against jihadist threats in West Africa—efforts the PDP dismissed as futile in a “global village” where lived realities trump paid narratives.
“Nigerians have not felt this insecure, even during the civil war,” Ememobong declared, urging President Bola Tinubu to prioritise actual security gains over “ephemeral optics.”
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According to the statement, the PDP demanded answers on whether the expenditure was budgeted in 2025;
Why a private law firm was used instead of the Federal Ministry of Justice; The roles of Nigerian diplomatic missions’ information officers; and The contract’s Key Performance Indicators.
The party insisted that genuine improvements in protecting all citizens—regardless of faith—and reducing mass killings would naturally reshape global perceptions far more effectively than foreign lobbying.
It called on the APC-led government to shift focus from expensive public relations to sustainable solutions for the nation’s foremost challenge: insecurity.
The contract comes as Nigeria faces international scrutiny over violence against Christian communities, even as the government seeks to maintain US counter-terrorism cooperation under the incoming Trump administration.
