The Presidency has dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to travel to the United States on Tuesday for a meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, debunked the report on Monday in a post on his official X account. He described the publication as false, misleading, and responsible for fueling widespread speculation and “uninformed commentaries.”
Ajayi stressed that if President Tinubu were to visit the White House, he would meet with President Donald Trump—not the Vice President.
“There’s a Sahara Reporters story claiming 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,” Ajayi wrote. “The fake news has unfortunately become the basis for several uninformed commentaries. If President Tinubu is going to the White House, he won’t be going to see a Vice President.”
The clarification follows days of heated discussions triggered by reports that Tinubu was heading to Washington for high-level diplomatic talks amid growing international scrutiny over alleged killings of Christians in Nigeria and a recent statement by President Trump threatening possible military intervention.
In a strongly worded post on Truth Social, Trump warned that the U.S. could “go in guns blazing” if Nigeria failed to halt the alleged killings.
“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 disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to wipe out the Islamic terrorists committing these atrocities,” Trump wrote.
He added that he had instructed the “Department of War” to prepare for possible action, promising any intervention would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”
The remarks sparked intense debate globally and at home, prompting President Tinubu to reaffirm that Nigeria is not experiencing a “Christian genocide.”
In a statement released via his X handle over the weekend, Tinubu stressed that Nigeria remains a democracy anchored on religious freedom and equality.
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” he said.
The President noted that since 2023, his administration has been in continuous dialogue with Christian and Muslim leaders to address insecurity affecting citizens across communities and regions.
Tinubu rejected external portrayals of Nigeria as a nation of religious intolerance, describing such narratives as inaccurate and out of touch with the country’s diverse social fabric.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” he stated. “It ignores the government’s consistent and sincere efforts to protect freedom of religion and belief for all Nigerians.”
He further underscored that religious tolerance has long been a defining value of Nigeria’s identity.
“Religious freedom and tolerance are core tenets of who we are as a people. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not condone it.”
Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with the United States and international partners to enhance cooperation and protect communities of all faiths.
“Our administration remains committed to collaborating with the U.S. government and the international community to deepen understanding and strengthen the protection of religious communities,” he added.
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