Politics
By Victoria Frances
CONTROVERSY has trailed the widely reported letter of commendation President Donald Trump wrote to President Bola Tinubu for his effort to curb terrorism in the country prompting the question – is the letter forged or real.
The controversial letter was brought to the public knowledge through a State House press release by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) on July 22. (The press release is reproduced below the story)
Supporters of Tinubu rejoice on reading the news, basking in the approval given by Trump as an endorsement for 2027 re-election, and mocked the opposition for their lack of support for the government and playing a losers game.
The opposition insisted that the war on terror is still raging and that there was no basis for such commendation as many Nigerians are still being killed by terrorists across the nation.
However, Karl Von Batten, a United States of America, USA, political strategist and lobbyist, worsened the controversy with an ominous allegation that the Tinubu administration circulated a suspicious document (Letter of Commendation) purportedly from the USA President.
Batten made the allegation on a post in his verified X handle after comparing the letter to Tinubu with a verified letter of commendation from President Trump to Javier Milei, presidenti of Argentina.
He wrote: “A Tale of Two Letters: On the left, we have an actual copy of President @realDonaldTrump’s letter to Argentine President @JMilei. On the right, we have what an account linked to President #Tinubu, using the Facebook handle @PBATMediaCentre, has posted as President Trump’s letter to President Tinubu. The difference is beyond clear.”
Batten said: “The @PBATMediaCentre post quoted a letter dated July 6, 2026, in which President Trump allegedly commended President Tinubu for “fighting insecurity”.
But unlike the Javier Milei letter, no scanned copy, no White House seal, and no image of the original was provided, only full text, including date and signature block.”
Also, he called the format by the President Tinubu administration, unusual and deliberate.
He stated: “We are not saying that a standard diplomatic response letter was never sent to President Tinubu. Nor are we saying that President Tinubu fabricated the purported letter. After all, Tinubu’s staff could easily create a fake letter tomorrow and post it as a rebuttal.
“What we are saying, is that it is unusual for a letter to be quoted in full, including the date and signature block, rather than simply publishing an image of the actual letter itself. Until the actual letter is released, whether real or fake, Nigerians must understand that Tinubu is trying to fool you.”
According to him, the timing raises further red flags, as the letter appeared, just as “longstanding drug trafficking allegations concerning President Tinubu”, are reportedly before members of the White House and Congress.
“This looks like damage control, not diplomacy.
“It also mirrors 2023, when the same APC under President Tinubu was accused of parading ‘fake Bishops’ to manufacture religious endorsement. Is this Washington version of the same playbook?” he said.
Also, he said that he would forward the quoted text to contacts in Washington DC, for verification.
“We believe the White House will not take lightly any attempt by President #Tinubu to use this purported diplomatic letter to suggest that President Trump condones the longstanding heroin trafficking allegations concerning President #Tinubu. For the record, President #Trump has no tolerance for drug traffickers,” he said.
Below is the text of State House press release that triggered the controversy
STATEHOUSE PRESS STATEMENT
PRESIDENT TRUMP LAUDS PRESIDENT TINUBU’S DECISIVE LEADERSHIP AGAINST TERRORISTS
US President Donald Trump has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decisive leadership “on behalf of the Nigerian people.”
In a letter to President Tinubu, President Trump applauded Tinubu’s resolve “to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria, especially the violence affecting Christian communities.”
According to Trump: “It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.”
The US-Nigeria relationship flourished in recent times, with the two sides working closely in key areas, especially in tackling security challenges afflicting parts of Nigeria.
In November last year, President Trump and President Tinubu agreed to establish a Joint Working Group co-headed by the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United States. Through the work of the working group, the two sides agreed on several steps, including training, intelligence sharing, and joint operations to roll back terrorist activities.
A highlight of the collaboration was the May 16 coordinated attack on ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad area, which led to the killing of the group’s top leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, and many of his lieutenants
Last week, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja, where he held meetings with senior government officials and pledged to strengthen the cooperation between Abuja and Washington DC in security and other areas of collaboration.
Full text of the letter dated July 6, 2026:
Dear Mr President,
“Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities and it is a true honor to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.
“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time where conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat.
“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack. I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency.”
Sincerely,
Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
July 22, 2026
A.I
July 24, 2026
Tags: Bayo Onanuga President Donald Trump Victoria Frances