The Presidency has accused a group of U.S. lawmakers and lobbyists of running a coordinated campaign to mislead former U.S. President Donald Trump into sanctioning Nigeria under what it described as false claims of Christian persecution.
Presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala made the allegation during an interview on Arise News’ Prime Time on Tuesday, where he said the campaign was a “deliberate disinformation strategy” designed to destabilise Nigeria and damage its global reputation.
“There is a coordinated agenda against Nigeria. Those pushing this narrative are not from the executive branch of the U.S. government; they are a pack-backed group of senators hoping to rile up President Trump to designate Nigeria as a CPC. Knowing Trump’s character, if he believed them, he would have done it three weeks ago,” Bwala said.
The Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation allows the U.S. to impose sanctions on nations accused of violating religious freedom. Nigeria was placed on the list in 2020 under Trump but was removed in 2021 by President Joe Biden.
Bwala accused the lawmakers of manipulating reports of terrorism and communal violence to frame Nigeria as a country 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 maintained that the campaign in Washington was politically motivated, not a reflection of Nigeria’s realities, and vowed that the government would respond with verifiable evidence, not lobbying. “What used to happen in Nigeria is that whenever false allegations come, people rush to lobby in the U.S. No — you match up the Western disinformation,” Bwala added.
The Presidency reiterated that Nigeria’s security crisis stems from terrorism, banditry, and criminality, not religious persecution, and urged the international community to verify facts before making judgments.
