The Presidency has alleged that a network of American lawmakers and lobbyists is spearheading a deliberate campaign to manipulate former US President Donald Trump into re-designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) — a label reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious liberty.
Speaking on Arise News Prime Time on Tuesday, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Dr. Daniel Bwala, described the push as a “coordinated agenda” founded on falsehoods and designed to “destabilise Nigeria using religion as a weapon.”
“There is a coordinated agenda against Nigeria. Those pushing this narrative are not in 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.
He accused the campaigners of spreading disinformation to US agencies and misrepresenting isolated cases of communal conflict as state-backed religious persecution.
“Religion has always been the instrument. They are doing this to stir division, weaken Nigeria’s image, and create panic internationally,” Bwala added.
The US “Country of Particular Concern” classification, created under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, empowers Washington to impose sanctions on governments deemed complicit in “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious freedom.
Nigeria was first designated a CPC in 2020 under Trump’s administration following advocacy from Christian groups citing violence in the Middle Belt and terrorist assaults by Boko Haram and ISWAP.
The status was later revoked in 2021 by President Joe Biden, who pointed to improved government response mechanisms — a move that triggered backlash from US senators including Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, who continue to press for its reinstatement.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected accusations of religious intolerance, maintaining that nationwide insecurity stems from terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities rather than faith-based hostility.
Bwala asserted that the renewed pressure campaign was politically driven and vowed that the government would counter such claims with verifiable evidence rather than lobbying efforts.
“What used to happen in Nigeria is, whenever this kind of false allegation comes, Nigerians will be looking to lobby in the US. No, you match up the Western disinformation,” he stated.
His comments come amid renewed international attention on Nigeria’s security and humanitarian situation, particularly in the North-Central zone, where violence has escalated in recent months.
In July, at least 27 people were killed by suspected gunmen in Bindi (Jebu) village, Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, while over 100 others were massacred weeks earlier in Yelwata, Benue State.
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