Presidency refutes report of Tinubu’s planned visit to US

The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has dismissed a report claiming that the President is scheduled to visit the United States on Tuesday for a meeting with US Vice President J.D. Vance.

Ajayi, in a post via his official X handle on Monday, described the report as false and misleading, saying it had fuelled unnecessary speculation and “uninformed commentaries.”

Ajayi added that if Tinubu were to visit the White House, he would be meeting with President Donald Trump, not the Vice President.

He wrote, “There’s a Sahara Reporters story that President Tinubu is going to the U.S. on Tuesday to see U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. That story is not true. I can see that the fake news by Sahara has become the basis for some uninformed commentaries since yesterday. If President Tinubu is going to the White House, he won’t be going to see a Vice President.”

The clarification came after reports claimed that Tinubu was set to travel to Washington for “top-level diplomatic engagements” amid heightened global attention on the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria and a recent statement by Trump threatening possible military action.

Trump, in a post on his Truth account on Saturday, warned that the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the Nigerian government failed to stop the alleged killing of Christians.

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians,” he said.

In response to the growing controversy, the President over the weekend denied any claims of a “Christian genocide,” reaffirming that Nigeria remains a democracy committed to religious freedom and equality for all citizens.

Tinubu, in an official statement via his X handle, emphasised that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that his administration continues to engage religious leaders across faiths to promote peace and tackle insecurity.

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“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” Tinubu said.

He added, “Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions.”

The President also dismissed external narratives portraying Nigeria as religiously intolerant, describing them as inaccurate and unreflective of the nation’s diversity and commitment to peaceful coexistence.

“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” Tinubu stated.

Reiterating that religious tolerance is a core element of Nigeria’s identity, Tinubu said, “Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”

He further pledged continued collaboration with the United States and other international partners to deepen understanding and protect communities of all faiths.

“Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths. Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on the protection of communities of all faiths,” Tinubu affirmed.