By
Mahmud Shuaibu Ringim
Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation whose people have lived side by side in harmony, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. Like many complex human societies, occasional disagreements do arise, but these are largely political rather than theological or religious in nature.
Throughout its history in living memory, Nigeria has never experienced large-scale religious conflagration between the adherents of its two dominant faiths—Islam and Christianity. In fact, the current President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a Muslim, while his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is a devout Christian, clearly reflecting the nation’s long tradition of religious tolerance and coexistence.
The recent inaccurate and condemnable remarks by former United States President Donald Trump, alleging a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, appear to be a calculated attempt to advance American strategic interests, particularly regarding Nigeria’s vast mineral resources, most of which are located in the northern part of the country. These minerals include gold, lithium, and diamonds—resources that have attracted strong interest from both American and Chinese companies seeking exploration and mining rights.
There are widespread allegations that American tech billionaire Elon Musk is keenly interested in Nigeria’s lithium deposits, with plans to extract and export the raw minerals to the United States for processing into various industrial components, particularly for his electric vehicle manufacturing ventures. It is further alleged that a Chinese company also bid for the same mining rights but proposed the establishment of a local processing plant within Nigeria. This proposal aligned closely with the federal government’s policy on value addition, job creation, industrial development, and foreign exchange generation.
President Trump, however, appears unwilling to accommodate such arrangements, especially at a time when the United States is grappling with rising unemployment, an expanding national debt burden, and increasing global competition to the dominance of the US dollar—particularly from the emerging BRICS-Plus bloc.
The recent sponsorship of a bill in the US Congress titled “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,” which appears to specifically target Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is a deliberate and calculated move designed to obstruct his rising political influence and growing national stature.
Senator Kwankwaso is a two-time Governor of Kano State, former Minister of Defence, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, former Senator, former Nigerian envoy to Darfur, leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, and one of the most outspoken and influential political figures in Northern Nigeria. A former presidential candidate, his rise to national prominence has been driven by resilience, dedication, grassroots mobilisation, and an unyielding ambition to one day occupy Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
The critical question that demands an answer is: Why should Senator Kwankwaso be singled out for sanctions among Nigeria’s entire political class?
The likely answer lies in the fear of his potential emergence as a serious presidential contender. By attempting to portray him as a religious extremist, there appears to be a calculated effort to alienate Christian voters and divide Nigeria along dangerous religious lines. However, this strategy is bound to fail, as demonstrated by the fact that his 2023 presidential running mate was a devoted Christian pastor, firmly grounded in his faith.
Although the proposed bill in the US Congress still has a long legislative journey before it could become law, the Nigerian government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, must not—under any circumstances—allow foreign powers to interfere in Nigeria’s domestic political processes.
Nigeria has come of age after over 65 years of independence. The nation is mature enough to chart its own destiny and decide, without external coercion, who should lead it. This sacred democratic responsibility cannot and must not be dictated by any inconsequential congressman from a distant foreign land.
mahmudshuaibu44@gmail.com
