Presidency accuses US lawmakers of pursuing anti-Nigeria agenda

Abuja, Nigeria — The Nigerian Presidency has accused a group of United States lawmakers and lobbyists of orchestrating a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at misleading U.S. President Donald Trump into sanctioning Nigeria under false claims of religious persecution.

Presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala made the allegation during an appearance on Arise News’ Prime Time on Tuesday, describing the effort as a politically motivated attempt to destabilize Nigeria and damage its international reputation.

“There is a coordinated agenda against Nigeria,” Bwala said. “Those pushing this narrative are not part of the U.S. executive branch. They are a pack-backed group of senators hoping to rile up President Trump to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). Knowing Trump’s character, if he believed them, he would have done it three weeks ago.”

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The CPC designation allows the U.S. government to impose sanctions on countries accused of “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious freedom. Nigeria was placed on the CPC list in 2020 during Trump’s administration but was removed in 2021 by President Joe Biden.

Bwala accused the group of manipulating reports of terrorism and communal violence to portray Nigeria as a nation that persecutes Christians. “Religion has always been the instrument,” he said. “They are doing this to stir division, weaken Nigeria’s image, and create panic internationally.”

He emphasized that the agitation in Washington does not reflect the realities on the ground in Nigeria and insisted that the government would respond with verifiable facts rather than lobbying for approval. “What used to happen in Nigeria is that whenever this kind of false allegation comes, Nigerians will be looking to lobby in the U.S. No, you match up the Western disinformation,” he stated.

The Presidency has consistently rejected claims of state-sponsored religious persecution, maintaining that Nigeria’s security challenges stem from terrorism, banditry, and criminality—not religious discrimination.