APC Seeks to Address US Congress Today as Nigeria’s CPC Debate Intensifies

The United States chapter of the All Progressives Congress is seeking a place at today’s hearing of the US House Subcommittee on Africa as lawmakers review President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious persecution.

In a letter to Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith, the group said it is ready to send a delegation with what it calls firsthand intelligence and verifiable data on Nigeria’s security situation. APC USA Chairman Tai Balofin confirmed the request, saying the organisation aims to correct what it sees as widespread misunderstandings about the nature of Nigeria’s crisis.

Balofin stressed that while the group supports religious freedom, insecurity in Nigeria is driven by overlapping factors including banditry, resource disputes, climate pressures and cross-border crime. He said the organisation wants Congress to have a fuller picture before making any decision on policy.

He added that the planned testimony would point to what the group considers security progress under President Bola Tinubu, citing improvements in degrading terror networks, early-warning systems and interfaith cooperation based on reports from Nigerian authorities and international observers. APC USA will also call for deeper US–Nigeria collaboration in intelligence, security and humanitarian initiatives.

The request comes amid diplomatic friction after Nigeria criticised the US for excluding it from a UN event hosted by American rapper Nicki Minaj that focused on alleged killings of members of a particular faith. Nigeria’s chargé d’affaires to the UN, Syndoph Endoni, described the exclusion as unacceptable and warned that shutting out the country at the centre of the allegations risks heightening tensions. US officials reportedly told Nigerian diplomats the event was kept private over concerns for participants’ safety.

The Subcommittee on Africa meets at 11 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building, with the session streamed live. Lawmakers will debate whether to maintain Nigeria’s CPC status—an action that could pave the way for sanctions targeting officials accused of religious-freedom violations and limit certain forms of US assistance.

Scheduled witnesses include senior State Department officials Jonathan Pratt and Jacob McGee, Nina Shea of the Center for Religious Freedom, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Catholic Diocese and Oge Onubogu of the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Their testimonies are expected to shape the discussion on the scale of religious persecution in Nigeria and possible policy options.

The hearing follows Trump’s October 31 redesignation and his declaration that Christians in Nigeria face severe, targeted attacks. He claimed thousands of killings and warned on November 1 that the US could halt aid or intervene militarily if the Nigerian government failed to act.

President Bola Tinubu rejected the claims, saying Nigeria remains committed to constitutional religious liberty and insisting that the portrayal of the country as intolerant does not reflect its reality. Nigerian officials continue to argue that insecurity is driven by criminal networks, economic strain and environmental stress—not state-backed religious persecution.

The decisions made at today’s hearing are expected to influence the next phase of US-Nigeria relations, particularly if Congress chooses either to uphold or overturn the CPC designation.