The Federal Government’s attempt to reset its image in Washington is igniting deeper debate and sharper resistance over how its internal crises are being presented on the global stage.
The country’s diplomatic outreach in the United States has come under renewed scrutiny following explosive comments by a prominent American broadcaster and a sharp rebuke from a US congressional panel over Abuja’s multimillion-dollar lobbying efforts, deepening controversy around President Bola Tinubu’s handling of insecurity and religious freedom.
The latest storm was triggered by American conservative commentator Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and host of Washington Watch, who disclosed that Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had sought an appearance on his programme during her recent visit to Washington. Perkins said he flatly rejected the request, accusing the Nigerian government of attempting to “cover up” the country’s worsening security and religious freedom challenges.
Speaking during a February 4 broadcast alongside US Congressman Chris Smith, Perkins said he declined to meet with Mrs Tinubu because he did not want his platform used to “gloss over” what he described as grim realities in Nigeria, including religious persecution, insecurity and governance failures.
“The First Lady of Nigeria was here this week, and they wanted to come on the programme to talk about religious freedom,” Perkins said. “I’m not gonna give them a platform to cover up what they’re doing in Nigeria.”
Mrs Tinubu was in Washington to attend the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual event that draws political and religious leaders from around the world. Her presence at the gathering was publicly recognised by US President Donald Trump, a moment pro-Tinubu supporters quickly hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough for Abuja at a time of strained US-Nigeria relations.
However, Perkins’ remarks have punctured that celebratory narrative, fuelling criticism that the Tinubu administration is prioritising image management abroad over substantive reforms at home.
The First Lady’s visit came against the backdrop of mounting pressure from Washington after the Trump administration designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing persistent violence against Christian communities. President Trump has repeatedly described Nigeria as “a disgrace” and has alleged that Christians in the country face genocide — claims Abuja denies.
Anger in Washington intensified at the weekend after a joint hearing of the US House Subcommittee on Africa and the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere sharply criticised Nigeria’s reported $9m lobbying contract with Washington-based firm DCI Group.
At the hearing, titled Defending Religious Freedom Around the World, lawmakers and expert witnesses warned that the contract appeared aimed at diluting international concern over human rights and religious freedom violations rather than addressing them.
Chairman of the Africa Subcommittee, Chris Smith, described the CPC designation as “long overdue” and said he was deeply troubled by efforts to counter it through aggressive lobbying.
“Nigeria has hired the lobbying firm DCI Group to the tune of $9m – $750,000 a month,” Smith said, adding that a Nigerian billionaire had also entered into a separate $120,000-a-month contract with consulting firm Valcour to influence Congress and the executive branch.
“They come up with very well-written talking points to say nothing to see here,” Smith said, warning that such efforts risk obscuring serious abuses on the ground.
Documents filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act show that Kaduna-based Aster Legal retained DCI Group on behalf of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in December, to communicate the government’s efforts to protect Christians. Separately, filings revealed that oil magnate Matthew Tonlagha signed a six-month contract with Valcour to lobby US media and officials in support of Nigeria.
Ranking Member of the subcommittee, Sara Jacobs, struck a more cautious note, warning against reducing Nigeria’s crisis to a single religious narrative. She criticised the US government for cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to Nigeria, including funding for peace-building and interfaith programmes, while focusing narrowly on Christian persecution.
“The violence in Nigeria is complex, affecting both Christians and Muslims,” Jacobs said, cautioning that oversimplified narratives could inflame tensions rather than resolve them.
Former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, and former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, Stephen Schneck, were more blunt. Schneck described Nigeria as facing a toxic mix of terrorism, banditry, farmer-herder conflicts and mass displacement, compounded by what he called “a corrupt and frankly, a failing government.”
Brownback argued that CPC designations were meaningless without sanctions, urging the US to deploy Magnitsky-style penalties against Nigerian officials.
“This government has not given us any reason to trust them,” he said.
The hearing also revisited controversial US airstrikes carried out in Sokoto State on Christmas Day, with Schneck warning that military action could strengthen militant groups and cost more than long-term peace-building efforts.
As criticism mounts in Washington, Perkins’ refusal to engage with Mrs Tinubu has become a symbol of growing scepticism toward Nigeria’s lobbying push – and a reminder that high-profile appearances and expensive consultants may not be enough to counter concerns about insecurity, religious freedom and governance.
As of the time of filing this report, the Office of the First Lady had not responded to Perkins’ comments, while the Federal Government continues to insist that Nigeria faces serious security challenges but no religious genocide.
