Nigeria 2019: PDP hires Trump’s lobbyist for $90k per month

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hired Brian Ballard, a top US lobbyist, ahead of the 2019 elections.

The influential lobbyist has President Donald Trump as one of his clients. Politico Magazine, a top publication in the US, says Ballard is closer to the US president than perhaps any other lobbyist in town.

“He’s parlayed that relationship into a booming business helping clients get their way with the Trump administration — and his clients and even some of his rivals say his firm has a better grasp of what’s going on in the West Wing than almost anyone else,” the magazine said in a report.

“Ballard was one of the top fundraisers in the country for Trump’s campaign and continues to raise millions for his reelection campaign. Wiles, one of his top lieutenants, ran Trump’s campaign in Florida and delivered the nation’s biggest swing state to the president.”

Documents seen by TheCable showed that Nigeria’s main opposition party has agreed to pay $90,000 (N31.5m) to Ballard on a monthly basis throughout the duration of the contract.

TheCable understands that the contract which was signed on September 21, 2018 is for a year, meaning Ballard would rake in close to N400 million from the deal.

– The Cable