Politics
THE United States Senator, Ted Cruz has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of spending resources on American lobbying firms instead of addressing concerns over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The Republican lawmaker, who spoke on Wednesday, claimed that Nigerian government officials had chosen to embark on a public relations campaign in the United States rather than respond to growing international concerns about religious freedom and violence against Christians.
Cruz, who has consistently criticised Nigeria’s handling of religious freedom issues, said the Tinubu administration was seeking to influence public opinion in Washington while failing to confront the underlying issues raised by members of the US Congress.
According to him, Nigerian officials have fostered an environment that enables violence against Christians and other religious minorities through the implementation of blasphemy and Sharia laws and by failing to adequately respond to attacks allegedly carried out by extremist groups.
The senator referenced his proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, 2025, a bill designed to impose sanctions on Nigerian government officials found to be complicit in the persecution of Christians or involved in enforcing laws that violate religious freedom.
“The US 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,” Cruz said.
He further alleged that the Nigerian government remained confident that it could continue its current policies without consequences, while expressing satisfaction with the stance adopted by US President Donald Trump on the issue of alleged religious persecution in Nigeria.
Cruz also accused the Tinubu administration of prioritising the engagement of American lobbyists over addressing the concerns raised by US lawmakers regarding religious freedom and the protection of vulnerable communities.
His latest remarks add to ongoing scrutiny by some members of the US Congress over Nigeria’s religious freedom record, an issue that has featured prominently in diplomatic engagements between both countries in recent years.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued an official response to Senator Cruz’s latest allegations.
culled from newtelegraph
A.I
July 23, 2026
Tags: President Bola Tinubu Ted Cruz