Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, on Saturday, faulted the Federal Government and the National Assembly for failing to act early to counter what he described as the growing “misconception” about religious persecution in Nigeria before the United States reclassified the country as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
The development followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration on Friday via his Truth Social platform, where he alleged that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria.”
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Trump also ordered that the country be placed on the watchlist for “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
Under U.S. law, a “Country of Particular Concern” refers to nations where governments engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom.
The classification can attract sanctions, restrictions on military aid, and travel bans on officials implicated in abuses.
Reacting in a statement, Ndume, who represents Borno Central, expressed concern that both the Tinubu administration and the Senate ignored earlier warnings and failed to engage Washington diplomatically before the re-designation was announced.
“I have alerted the government, I even moved a motion. Nigeria is a sovereign state. It isn’t about what the United States can do to us, but about the misconception and the ripple effects of classifying us as a country of concern.
“We should engage the American government by presenting facts and figures. By engaging the US government, we should demand that they hear the other side of the story from the Nigerian government and the Muslim community.
“Muslims have been killed, too. The genocide isn’t against Christians but Nigerians generally,” he said.
The senator urged the Federal Government to urgently engage experienced diplomats, especially in the United Nations, to correct the narrative and help steer diplomatic dialogue.
“Before things get out of hand, Nigeria should engage seasoned diplomats like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Babagana Kingibe, Professor Sulu Gambari, and Aminat Mohammed in the United Nations.
“They should also engage the American embassy in Nigeria because they have the facts. We can change the narrative by ensuring that we aren’t tagged ‘country of particular concern,’ but ‘country of special concern,’ so that they can give us all the support, including arms and ammunition, to effectively contain the terrorists.
“The good thing about America is that if they know the truth, they will stick to it,” he added.
Ndume’s remarks came just hours after President Bola Tinubu rejected the new U.S. designation, insisting that it misrepresents Nigeria’s religious reality.
In a post on his official X handle, Tinubu said Nigeria “stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” describing the characterisation as inaccurate and unfair.
Nigeria was first placed on the list in December 2020 during Trump’s first term but was removed in November 2021 under the Biden administration, a decision that drew criticism from U.S. conservatives.
While religious tensions in Nigeria have long contributed to violence between Christian and Muslim communities, successive governments have maintained that most attacks, including insurgency in the North-East and farmer-herder clashes, stem from security and socio-economic grievances rather than faith-based persecution.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to work with the U.S. and other international partners “to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.”
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