FORMER Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has criticised both the Federal Government and the National Assembly for failing to take early diplomatic action to avert Nigeria’s reclassification by the United States as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians.
The U.S. designation followed a declaration by former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday via his Truth Social platform, where he alleged that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” ordering that the country be placed on the watchlist for what he termed “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
Under U.S. law, any nation designated a CPC faces possible sanctions, restrictions on military and economic assistance, and travel bans on officials deemed complicit in alleged religious abuses.
Ndume, who represents Borno Central in the Senate, said he had previously warned Nigeria’s authorities about rising international claims of religious persecution but his concerns were ignored.
“I have alerted the government, I even moved a motion,” Ndume said in a statement on Saturday sent to News Point Nigeria.
“Nigeria is a sovereign state. It isn’t about what the United States can do to us, but the misconception and ripple effects of classifying us as a country of concern.”
He insisted that violence in Nigeria affects citizens of all faiths, and the narrative of a Christian genocide is inaccurate.
“Muslims have also been killed. The genocide isn’t against Christians but Nigerians generally,” he said.
The senator urged urgent engagement with Washington and global stakeholders to correct what he described as a dangerous mischaracterisation.
“Before things get out of hand, Nigeria should engage seasoned diplomats like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Babagana Kingibe, Professor Sulu-Gambari, and Amina Mohammed in the United Nations,” he advised.
Ndume also called on the government to intensify diplomatic efforts with the U.S. Embassy in Abuja to present “facts and figures” that reflect the country’s complex security challenges.
“They have the facts. We can change the narrative by ensuring that we aren’t tagged a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ but a ‘Country of Special Concern,’ so that they can give us support, including arms and ammunition, to effectively fight terrorists,” he added.
Ndume expressed confidence that U.S. authorities would adjust their position if properly briefed.
“The good thing about America is that if they know the truth, they will stick to it,” he said.
His comments came shortly after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected the new U.S. categorisation, insisting it misrepresents Nigeria’s religious reality.
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” Tinubu posted on his official X account, describing the designation as “inaccurate and unfair.”
Nigeria was last placed on the CPC list in December 2020 during Trump’s presidency but was removed in 2021 under the Biden administration, a move widely criticised by U.S. conservative groups at the time.
While religious identity often forms part of conflict narratives in Nigeria, the government maintains that insurgency, banditry, and farmer–herder clashes are driven primarily by criminal, security, and socio-economic factors rather than religious persecution.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to work with the U.S. and international partners to strengthen protection for communities of all faiths across the country.