There was mild drama in the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Barau Jibrin, openly disagreed over how the National Assembly should react to US President Donald Trump’s recent threat of military intervention in Nigeria.
The tension began after Akpabio addressed a viral online report alleging that he had dismissed Trump’s remarks and claimed Nigerians were "not complaining" about their condition.
Visibly displeased, Akpabio described the publication as "false and malicious," insisting he never made such comments.
"Who am I to answer President Trump? Somebody claimed that the Senate President said Nigerians are not complaining, that we like the way we are living. I have petitioned the police and the DSS," he said.
He said the report was a deliberate attempt to "create diplomatic tension" and "discredit the National Assembly," adding that the photos used in the viral story were doctored.
"Somebody will sit in the comfort of his room and fabricate a report, and produce fake pictures from 2023 when I visited Port Harcourt with senators for a completely different event, and then claim that the Senate President answered President Trump. Who am I to answer Trump?" Akpabio asked, prompting laughter from some lawmakers.
However, the mood shifted when Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin interjected, asserting that Nigerian lawmakers had every right to speak their minds.
"I’m not scared of Trump. I will say my mind. I’m a Nigerian. Nigeria is a sovereign nation. I’m a parliamentarian, the Deputy Senate President, I can speak. Don’t be scared of Trump. You can say your mind about Trump. We are a sovereign nation."
His remarks drew murmurs across the chamber and subtly exposed a difference in approach between the two top Senate leaders on how to respond to Trump’s warning.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has urged the US president to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and avoid any actions that could violate its territorial integrity.
Daniel Bwala, a special aide to President Bola Tinubu, made the appeal during an interview on Russia National TV on Monday.
Bwala dismissed the allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria as part of an "orchestrated media campaign" aimed at discrediting the Tinubu administration.
"We try our best to downplay the rhetoric because we know for sure that that can be the reflection of the realities on ground," he said.
He also accused certain US lawmakers, including Senator Ted Cruz, of being misled by sympathisers of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), whom he said were pushing a false narrative of genocide against Christians.
"The decision of President Trump is anchored on reports submitted by a separatist group in Nigeria called IPOB. Those reports claim there’s a genocide of Christians in Nigeria, which is false. Independent intelligence and credible NGOs have found no such evidence," he said.
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