Tinubu To Visit U.S. Tuesday As Trump Delegates Vice President JD Vance For Meeting Amid Tensions Over ‘Christian Killings’ Allegations
By Passman Akpos
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to visit the United States on Tuesday amid rising diplomatic tension over allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria and a recent threat of military action by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, SaharaReporters has learned.
According to presidential sources, the Nigerian leader will embark on the trip for high-level diplomatic engagements with top U.S. officials. However, contrary to earlier reports suggesting a direct meeting between Tinubu and President Trump, fresh information indicates that Trump has “delegated his Vice, James David Vance, to meet with Tinubu during the visit,” barring any last-minute changes.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that both President Tinubu and President Trump were expected to hold a bilateral meeting—either at the State House in Abuja or at the White House in Washington—to strengthen cooperation between the two nations, particularly in counterterrorism and global security efforts.
In a statement last week, Daniel Bwala, Media Aide to President Tinubu, said the two leaders shared a common vision in combating terrorism and protecting humanity from violent extremism.
“Both President @officialABAT and President @realDonaldTrump have shared interest in the fight against insurgency and all forms of terrorism against humanity,” Bwala said.
He further noted that the Trump administration had extended “significant support” to Nigeria’s security operations, which Tinubu’s government had continued to build upon.
“President Trump has assisted Nigeria a lot by authorising the sale of arms to Nigeria, and President Tinubu has adequately utilised the opportunity in the fight against terrorism, for which we have massive results to show for it,” he added.
Bwala also confirmed that any perceived disagreement between the two leaders over the nature of terrorist activities in Nigeria would be discussed during Tinubu’s visit.
“As for the differences as to whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or in fact all faiths and no faiths, the differences—if they exist—would be discussed and resolved by the two leaders when they meet,” he said.
The planned visit comes amid escalating rhetoric from President Trump, who last week warned that the U.S. might launch military action in Nigeria if the “killing of Christians” continues.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused the Nigerian government of allowing “Islamic terrorists” to attack Christian communities and threatened to order U.S. forces to intervene.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. 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,” Trump said.
“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 added.
Reacting to the remarks, the Nigerian Presidency dismissed allegations of religious genocide, describing them as “a mischaracterisation” of Nigeria’s complex religious and security realities.
In a statement on Saturday, President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom and equality, stressing that the constitution guarantees protection for all citizens regardless of faith.
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” Tinubu said.
He added that since taking office in 2023, his administration had engaged Christian and Muslim leaders alike while tackling security challenges that cut across religious and regional lines.
“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,” Tinubu noted.
He described the notion of Nigeria being religiously intolerant as “false and misleading,” insisting that his government neither supports nor condones persecution based on religion.
“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,” he 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 added.
Tinubu also emphasized that his government would continue to work with the United States and other international partners to promote peace, mutual understanding, and the protection of communities of all faiths.
“Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths,” he said.
The outcome of Tinubu’s meeting with Vice President JD Vance is expected to shape the next phase of Nigeria–U.S. relations, especially as Washington weighs its next steps on the alleged persecution of Christians and broader security concerns in West Africa.
