Dare Babalola
The Nigerian Presidency has denied reports of President Bola Tinubu’s imminent trip to the United States of America, amid escalating tensions between the two nations over claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Earlier, a media house, Sahara Reporters said some presidential sources revealed that Tinubu will be in the US on Tuesday for top level diplomatic engagements with the US government.
The media house said the US President, Donald Trump, had delegated his vice, James David Vance, to meet with Tinubu during the visit, baring any last minute changes.
Sahara reporters also quoted a media aide to President Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, who said both leaders share a common vision in combating terrorism and protecting humanity from violent extremism.
The media house quoted Bwala to have said, “Both President @officialABAT and President @realDonaldTrump have shared interests in the fight against insurgency and all forms of terrorism against humanity.
“President Trump has assisted Nigeria a lot by authorising the sale of arms, and President Tinubu has adequately utilised that opportunity in the fight against terrorism, with massive results to show for it.
“As for the differences as to whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or all faiths, those would be discussed and resolved by the two leaders when they meet in the coming days, either in the State House or White House.”
However, a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, on Monday, refuted the claim which he described as fake.
Ajayi, in a Facebook post, noted that if President Tinubu were indeed going to the White House, he would not be meeting a Vice President.
He wrote, “There is a Sahara Reporters’ story that President Tinubu is going to the US on Tuesday to see US Vice President J.D Vance. That story is not true. I can see that the fake news by Sahara has become the basis for some uninformed commentaries since yesterday. If President Tinubu is going to the White House, he won’t be going to see a Vice President.”
Recall that Trump had threatened military action against Nigeria to “wipe out” terrorists killing Christians in the country.
He also warned that the United States might cut off all aid and assistance to Nigeria.
