Prioritising Lobbyists Over Christian Killings – US Senator Knocks Tinubu Govt

United States Senator Ted Cruz has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of devoting resources and attention to lobbying activities in Washington while allegedly failing to adequately address concerns over attacks on Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria.

Cruz, in a statement on Wednesday, claimed that Nigerian officials had embarked on a public relations campaign rather than responding directly to concerns raised in the United States over religious violence in the country.

“Instead of responding to American concerns, Nigerian officials waged a public relations campaign against critics,” the senator said.

His comments came amid renewed debate in the United States over allegations of widespread persecution of Christians in Nigeria, a claim the Nigerian government has previously faced from some American lawmakers and advocacy groups.

Cruz has proposed legislation aimed at sanctioning Nigerian officials he believes are responsible for policies or actions that facilitate attacks on Christians and other religious minorities.

The proposed legislation, known as the “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, 2025,” seeks to impose sanctions on officials accused of enabling religious persecution and enforcing what Cruz described as blasphemy laws.

The senator alleged that some policies adopted by Nigerian authorities had contributed to an environment where attacks on religious communities could thrive.

“Nigerian officials have created an environment that facilitated mass violence against Christians and religious minorities by imposing blasphemy and Sharia laws and looking the other way at jihadist atrocities,” he said.

Cruz added, “The U.S. government knows the Nigerian officials responsible for these policies; I have been pushing my bill to sanction them, and President Trump has even ordered military action.”

The US lawmaker further claimed that Nigerian officials appeared confident that they could maintain what he described as the existing approach to the religious violence allegations.

He also expressed satisfaction with President Donald Trump’s response to the claims surrounding the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Cruz’s remarks represent the latest criticism of the Tinubu administration from sections of the US political establishment over Nigeria’s handling of insecurity and religious freedom concerns.

The controversy comes amid scrutiny of the Federal Government’s lobbying activities in Washington.

A January 14 report by Peoples Gazette claimed that the Tinubu administration committed $9m to a Republican-linked lobbyist in an effort to improve relations with Washington, particularly amid concerns over the Trump administration’s position on terrorism and attacks allegedly targeting Christian communities in Nigeria.

The debate intensified about a month later when Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, and US Representative Riley Moore introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 in the House of Representatives.

The proposed legislation also seeks sanctions and other measures against Nigerian officials deemed responsible for violations of religious freedom.