The House of Representatives on Wednesday moved decisively against a proposed U.S. legislation, describing it as a gross misrepresentation of Nigeria’s religious and security situation.
The action followed the adoption of a motion titled “Urgent Need for a Coordinated Diplomatic and Domestic Response to the Proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 (U.S. Senate Bill S.2747) and to Mischaracterisations of Nigeria’s Security and Religious-Freedom Landscape”, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Hon. Benjamin Kalu alongside several other lawmakers.
Introduced in the U.S. Senate on September 9, 2025, the bill seeks to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged religious freedom violations and impose sanctions on Nigerian officials under Executive Order 13818, also known as the Global Magnitsky Act.
Rejecting what it called a “distorted and incomplete portrayal” of the country, the House stressed that insecurity in Nigeria is driven not by religion, but by insurgency, banditry, separatist violence, and communal conflicts affecting citizens of all faiths.
Hon. Kalu reminded lawmakers that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, prohibiting the adoption of any state religion. He added that successive governments have protected worshippers of all faiths while bringing perpetrators of violence to justice. “External actions based on misinformed assumptions not only threaten our sovereignty but risk emboldening violent actors,” he warned.
Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, lamented that misinformation about Nigeria must be corrected, noting that “many people, including Nigerians, are bent on demarketing the country.” Hon. Sada Soli (Jibia/Kaita, Katsina State) called on the Federal Government to express its displeasure at what he described as “a deliberate attempt to dent Nigeria’s image.”
Hon. Billy Osawaru (Edo) expressed concern over Nigeria’s diplomatic lapses, highlighting that the country currently has no Ambassador to the United States. He emphasized that urgent diplomatic engagement is necessary, insisting that Nigeria “cannot afford to fail the African continent.”
In its resolutions, the House:
The House further directed that copies of the resolution be transmitted to the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, relevant security agencies, the U.S. Congress leadership, the U.S. Department of State, USCIRF, as well as the African Union and ECOWAS Commissions.
With the unanimous adoption of the motion, the House reaffirmed its commitment to defending Nigeria’s image globally and ensuring engagement with international partners is based on facts, fairness, and mutual respect.
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