SINCE President Donald Trump threatened to “invade Nigeria” over alleged persecution of Christians, the Nigerian government has struggled to mount a coherent response.
The government’s response has been marked by hurried diplomatic statements, contradictory political comments, and conflicting stances as it tries to mount an information offensive to counter the accusation, which it describes as “inconsistent” with realities in Nigeria.
Trump, in a Truth Social post later shared on the official White House X handle, announced that he had designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), citing what he described as “an existential threat to Christianity.”
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“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ — but that is the least of it,” Trump wrote.
Citing alarming figures, he added: “When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done. I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me. The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries.”
The post immediately stirred fear and confusion in Nigeria, prompting an uncoordinated string of official responses. Ministries, lawmakers, and presidential aides issued conflicting statements, each taking a different tone. Below are some disjointed responses which exposed the absence of a central communications strategy by the Nigerian Government.
Foreign Affairs Ministry’s confusing press releases
Even before the Presidency reacted, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the first to issue a statement. On Saturday, the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, rejected Trump’s claims, saying they did not accurately reflect Nigeria’s realities.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria notes the recent remarks by US President Donald Trump alleging large-scale killings of Christians in Nigeria and calling for the country’s designation as a ‘Country of Particular Concern.
“These claims do not reflect the situation on the ground. Nigerians of all faiths have long lived, worked, and worshipped together peacefully,” said the ministry.
The government said that while it appreciated global concern for human rights and religious freedom, the allegations were inaccurate and misrepresented the country’s realities.
However, the statement was swiftly deleted even after being widely reported and shared by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga and replaced with a toned-down version.
The revised release removed Trump’s name, avoided the term “genocide,” and took on a conciliatory tone centred on “shared values” and “partnership” with the United States.
The change signalled internal confusion over how aggressively Nigeria should respond. The initial statement was assertive and diplomatic, defending the country’s image. The replacement, however, appeared designed to de-escalate tensions and project a calmer posture, suggesting that higher political consultations had overruled the ministry’s earlier defiance.
Akpabio and Barau differ on Senate’s response
The discord was also evident in the National Assembly. On Tuesday, a mild drama played out on the Senate floor as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Jibrin Barau, took opposing stances on Trump’s remarks.
Akpabio, reacting to a viral report by the social media platform RANT HQ that misquoted him as rebuffing Trump’s statement, clarified that he had not attacked the former U.S. president. “Who am I to answer Trump?” he said, stressing that he only spoke based on the Senate’s collective position.
Barau, however, struck a defiant tone. “I’m not scared of Trump. I will say my mind. I’m a Nigerian, and Nigeria is a sovereign nation,” he interjected. “Don’t be scared of Trump. You can say your mind about him — we are a sovereign nation.”
While both leaders defended Nigeria’s sovereignty, Akpabio’s cautious diplomacy clashed with Barau’s confrontational style, leaving the Senate’s official stance unclear at a time the nation needed a structured response and resolution.
Lawmaker dragged for “blind loyalty”
In the midst of the controversy, a Nigerian lawmaker drew public backlash after posting on X: “Tinubu leads… we follow.” Many citizens accused him of blind loyalty rather than offering critical oversight.
One user, Onyi Vincent Obiannu, wrote: “A Nigerian senator, ladies and gentlemen. Those that should be checking the president have become the president’s puppet.”
Another user, Habeeb, added: “This isn’t even about Tinubu, yet you’re still doing this? BAT is your party member — you’re supposed to hold him accountable, not cheerlead him in the middle of a diplomatic crisis.”
Old tweet backfires against Tinubu
As the Christian genocide narrative gained traction, an old 2014 tweet from President Bola Tinubu resurfaced and quickly became ammunition for critics. In the post, then-opposition leader Tinubu had slammed former President Goodluck Jonathan for failing to protect Christian worshippers in Borno and Adamawa States.
“The slaughtering of Christian worshippers is strongly condemnable. It calls into question the competence of Jonathan to protect Nigerians,” Tinubu wrote at the time.
Eleven years later, the statement has returned to haunt him. Many Nigerians are now juxtaposing his past criticism with the current U.S. allegations, accusing the Tinubu administration of hypocrisy and inconsistency in handling issues of religious violence.
The resurfaced tweet has become a significant public relations setback for the government’s effort to control the narrative.
Confusion over meeting with Trump
The controversy also showed when reports emerged that President Tinubu was scheduled to travel to the United States for a high-level diplomatic meeting with Trump. Sahara Reporters claimed that Trump had delegated Vice President James David Vance to meet Tinubu during the visit.
However, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed the report as “false and misleading,” accusing the media of fuelling unnecessary speculation.
Similarly, Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, later confirmed that Tinubu would meet Trump “in the coming days” but declined to specify when or where.
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Hasty appointment of ambassadors
Amid the diplomatic turbulence, the Presidency has reportedly fast-tracked the appointment of ambassadors to Nigeria’s foreign missions a process that had stalled for over a year.
Sources say the urgency stems from Nigeria’s diplomatic vulnerability at a time when Washington and other Western allies are scrutinizing its human rights record.
The vacuum dates back to September 2023, when Tinubu recalled all 109 ambassadors. Since then, most missions have been run by chargés d’affaires, leaving Nigeria without ambassador-level representation in key countries, including the United States. Analysts argue that this absence hampered Nigeria’s capacity for high-level engagement and made its diplomatic responses sluggish during the crisis.
State officials describe the ongoing appointments as a “damage-control” move — aimed at restoring Nigeria’s global posture and ensuring that the country has authoritative voices to defend its image abroad. But critics warn that rushing the process under external pressure could lead to politically motivated appointments rather than merit-based selections.
As one foreign policy analyst put it: “There is no authoritative figure to speak for Nigeria in Washington. Without an ambassador, even the most serious diplomatic outreach becomes bureaucratic and slow. It weakens Nigeria’s ability to defend itself.”
Nigeria government’s official response
Officially responding to the allegation, President Tinubu declared that Nigeria will remain firm as a democracy governed by a Constitution that guarantees religious liberty.
The President, writing on his X handle, in apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s declaration of Nigeria as ” Country of particular Concern”, said his administration has remained open to both Christians and Muslims.
The President noted that his administration is addressing issues around insecurity, which has continued to affect citizens across faiths and religions.
“Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions,” Tinubu said on X.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.
“Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.
“Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.”
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
