Reps move against U.S. bill Labeling Nigeria a religious violator

…Condemns Misrepresentation

…Directs Foreign Affairs Ministry to Engage U.S. Congress

By Gift Chapi-Odekina, Abuja

The House of Representatives connected Wednesday took a steadfast stance against a projected authorities successful the United States Senate, describing it arsenic a gross mischaracterisation of Nigeria’s spiritual and information situation.

The determination followed the adoption of a question 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 the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and respective different lawmakers.

The arguable U.S. bill, introduced successful the Senate connected September 9, 2025, seeks to designate Nigeria arsenic a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) implicit alleged spiritual state violations and to enforce sanctions connected Nigerian officials nether Executive Order 13818, besides known arsenic the Global Magnitsky Act.

In adopting the motion, the House rejected what it termed a “distorted and incomplete portrayal” of Nigeria’s realities, stressing that insecurity successful the state is not driven by religion but by a premix of insurgency, banditry, separatist violence, and communal conflicts affecting citizens of each faiths.

Hon. Kalu reminded the enclosure that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees state of thought, conscience, and religion, and prohibits the adoption of immoderate authorities religion. He noted that successive governments person protected worshippers of each faiths portion bringing perpetrators of unit to justice.

He warned that “external actions based connected misinformed assumptions not lone endanger our sovereignty but hazard emboldening convulsive actors.”

Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, said misinformation astir Nigeria indispensable beryllium corrected, lamenting that “many people, including Nigerians, are bent connected demarketing the country.”

Similarly, Hon. Sada Soli (Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency, Katsina State) urged the Federal Government to registry its displeasure astatine what helium described arsenic “a deliberate effort to dent Nigeria’s image.”

“We indispensable redeem the representation of our beloved country,” Soli said, informing that nonaccomplishment to respond would nonstop the incorrect connection to the planetary community.

Hon. Billy Osawaru (Edo) besides expressed interest implicit Nigeria’s diplomatic lapses, pointing retired that “Nigeria does not adjacent person an Ambassador to the United States astatine the moment.” He said the contented indispensable beryllium urgently addressed, insisting that Nigeria “cannot spend to neglect the African continent.”

In its resolutions, the House condemned each forms of unit and persecution connected spiritual grounds, portion reaffirming the nation’s law committedness to state of religion and belief.

It further mandated its Committees connected Foreign Affairs, National Security and Intelligence, Interior, Information, National Orientation and Values, Police Affairs, Civil Society, and Human Rights to collaborate wrong 21 days with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Embassy successful Washington, D.C., to record a ceremonial diplomatic protestation against the U.S. bill.

The committees were besides instructed to initiate a Nigeria–U.S. Joint Fact-Finding and Dialogue Mechanism connected Freedom of Religion oregon Belief (FoRB), involving religion leaders, autarkic experts, and the U.S. Commission connected International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Additionally, the Committee connected Legislative Compliance was mandated to guarantee afloat implementation of the resolutions and study backmost wrong 28 days.

With the unanimous adoption of the motion, the House reaffirmed its committedness to defending Nigeria’s representation globally and ensuring that its engagement with planetary partners remains grounded successful facts, fairness, and communal respect.

Copies of the solution volition beryllium transmitted to the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, information agencies, the U.S. Congress leadership, the U.S. Department of State, USCIRF, arsenic good arsenic the African Union and ECOWAS Commissions.

The station Reps determination against U.S. measure Labeling Nigeria a spiritual violator appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News....