The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has denied reports claiming that the President is scheduled to visit the United States on Tuesday to meet with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
In a post on his official X handle on Monday, Ajayi described the report as false and misleading, saying it had sparked unnecessary speculation and “uninformed commentaries.”
He clarified that if President Tinubu were to visit the White House, he would meet with President Donald Trump, not the Vice President.
“There’s a story claiming President Tinubu is going to the U.S. on Tuesday to see Vice President J.D. Vance — that’s not true,” Ajayi wrote. “The fake news has already led to several uninformed comments since yesterday. If President Tinubu visits the White House, he won’t be going to see a Vice President.”
His statement came after reports surfaced that Tinubu was planning a trip to Washington for “high-level diplomatic engagements,” following global reactions to allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria and a recent controversial post by President Trump threatening possible military action.
I1n a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump warned that the U.S. might “go in guns blazing” if the Nigerian government failed to stop the alleged killings 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 blazing’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists responsible,” Trump wrote.
“I have instructed our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and decisive,” he added.
Responding to the controversy, President Tinubu over the weekend refuted claims of any “Christian genocide,” reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to democracy, religious freedom, and equality for all citizens.
In an official statement via his X handle, Tinubu said, “Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. Since 2023, our administration has maintained active engagement with both Christian and Muslim leaders to promote peace and tackle insecurity across all regions.”
He stressed that external portrayals of Nigeria as a nation divided along religious lines were misleading and failed to reflect the country’s diversity and commitment to peaceful coexistence.
“The description of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not align with our national reality. The government continues to protect freedom of religion and belief for all Nigerians,” Tinubu said.
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Reiterating that religious tolerance is part of Nigeria’s identity, he added, “Religious freedom and tolerance have always been a core part of who we are as a nation. Nigeria rejects and does not support any form of religious persecution.”
Tinubu concluded by reaffirming his administration’s readiness to collaborate with the U.S. and other international partners to promote mutual understanding and protect communities of all faiths.
“Our administration remains committed to working with the U.S. government and other international bodies to strengthen cooperation in safeguarding all religious communities,” the President stated.
