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BREAKING: International Relations Expert, Comments on the Proposed US Sanction Bill for Religious Freedom in Nigeria

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When a group of US lawmakers introduced a new sanctions bill targeting alleged religious freedom violations in Nigeria, the move immediately reignited a familiar and delicate debate on where human right advocacy ends and where foreign overreach begins.

For international relations expert, Khalid Iliyasu Dauda, the proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 reflects a pattern Washington has deployed in applying pressure without direct confrontation.

“The proposed legislation mirrors a well-established US strategy of using targeted sanctions to influence elite behaviour and signal concern over religious violence,” said Dauda, a lecturer at Skyline University in a exclusive interview with DAILY POST.

He said the sanction’s “credibility will depend on strong evidence, fair targeting, and genuine engagement with Nigerian authorities. Without these, it risks being more symbolic than an effective accountability mechanism.”

The bill, introduced by Republican Congressman Riley Moore of West Virginia and co-sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, proposes visa bans and freeze of assets belonging to individuals and groups accused of religious persecution.

Named in the draft are former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Fulani-ethnic nomadic militias, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore. The sanctions would be enforced under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, with the US Departments of State and Treasury directed to identify those deemed responsible for violations. The legislation also mandates humanitarian intervention in Nigeria’s Middle Belt through “trusted faith-based and non-governmental organisations,” funded by both Washington and Abuja.

The bill goes further to instruct the US Secretary of State to determine whether certain Fulani militias qualify for designation as Foreign Terrorist Organisations which is a step that would carry serious legal and diplomatic consequences.

To Dauda, the controversy surrounding the bill is expected.

He said, “The sovereignty concerns are understandable, especially given Nigeria’s complex internal security challenges,” he said.
“Yet, such actions are increasingly justified under international human rights norms. This initiative sits at the intersection of rights advocacy and geopolitical pressure.”

Despite the tension, Dauda does not foresee a collapse in relations as according to him, “US–Nigeria relations are built on deep strategic foundations, particularly in security collaboration, economic engagement, and regional stability.

“What is more likely is a shift toward a more conditional and pragmatic partnership, characterised by closer scrutiny and periodic tensions rather than a breakdown in relations.”

DAILY POST recalls that the proposed legislation builds on earlier US actions. In late 2025, President Donald Trump re-designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over what Washington described as severe religious freedom violations, particularly against Christian communities. This was followed by the Federal Government’s consistent denial of Christian prosecution, insisting that the violence was driven by banditry and Insurgency rather than religion.

Kwankwaso was among the most vocal critics of the designation. Reacting on his verified X handle, the former governor warned against simplifying Nigeria’s security crisis.

“It is important to emphasize that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country,” he said.

“The security challenges we face are complex and multifaceted. They are not limited to one faith or one region.”

He called for cooperation rather than punitive response from Washington.

“The United States should assist Nigeria with advanced technology and intelligence support to combat insecurity instead of resorting to threats,” Kwankwaso said, cautioning that, “Care must be taken not to escalate tensions or deepen divisions within our diverse society.”

Those comments triggered sharp reactions from some US lawmakers backing the bill. In one exchange on X, Moore accused Kwankwaso of complicity in religious persecution, writing, “Governor do you care to comment on your own complicity in the death of Christians? You instituted sharia law. You signed the law that makes so-called blasphemy punishable by death.”

Months later, Kwankwaso’s name has resurfaced in the proposed legislation, fuelling speculation in political and diplomatic circles about how personal exchanges, policy disagreements, and long-standing narratives about Nigeria’s north have shaped the bill.

As at the time of filing this report, the former Kano State Governor is yet to publicly comment on the new development.

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POLITICS: Wike-led PDP Faction Takes Over Party Secretariat In Oyo

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Members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, have taken over the secretariat of the party in Oyo State.

The secretariat, located in the Molete area of Ibadan, was in the custody of the faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde of the state until Thursday when the members loyal to Wike took over the premises.

DAILY POST gathered that the PDP members stormed the secretariat on Thursday and occupied the premises with hundreds of members of the party in attendance.

PDP chairman in the state, Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso, confirmed the development to DAILY POST.

Akinoso in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, insisted that the real owners have taken over the premises.

He said, “It is true. It is not faction. It is PDP. We have taken over the premises. It was in the morning. We were there in the morning. We just left the premises. We are now in control. We have taken over the premises.” .…For more, Complete your reading.

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POLITICS: Foreign Recognition Won’t Secure Re-election – ADC Tells Tinubu

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has told President Bola Tinubu that foreign recognition will not secure him another term in office, insisting that Nigerians will judge his administration by its performance, not by diplomatic gestures from other world leaders.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party reacted to the Presidency’s celebration of a purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to Tinubu.

The ADC said presenting the letter as an endorsement of Tinubu’s administration was misleading, stressing that diplomatic correspondence between world leaders is a normal part of international relations.

“The Presidency’s attempt to present President Donald Trump’s letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as though it were a referendum on the state of the nation is not correct,” the party said.

According to the ADC, countries cooperate, leaders exchange views and letters regularly, adding that such communication does not amount to an endorsement of a government’s performance.

The party accused the Tinubu administration of being desperate for international validation instead of focusing on solving Nigeria’s challenges.

“It is apparent that this administration is desperate to seize upon any gesture of international recognition as proof of success at home,” the statement said.

The ADC maintained that “a letter from a foreign president, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for the verdict of the Nigerian people.”

It added that the true measure of any government is not what foreign leaders say about it, but what citizens experience daily.

The opposition party argued that Trump’s letter had not changed the reality facing millions of Nigerians, especially those affected by insecurity.

“For the millions of Nigerians still living with the consequences of this government’s failures, President Trump’s communication changes nothing. It did not say that insecurity has been overcome or that Nigerians can once again travel freely, farm safely and sleep without fear,” the party stated.

The ADC also pointed to the continued captivity of hundreds of women and children in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while many communities in Benue and other parts of the country still live in constant fear because of insecurity.

The party further noted that, despite the Presidency’s celebration of the letter, the United States Department of State has not changed its travel advisory for Nigeria.

According to the ADC, several Nigerian states remain under Level 3 and Level 4 travel advisories, with American citizens still being urged to reconsider or avoid travel because of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.

“We therefore wonder how correspondence from a government that designates several Nigerian states as ‘Do Not Travel’ areas can be regarded as an endorsement,” the party said.

It argued that the travel advisory shows the international assessment of Nigeria’s security situation remains different from the image the Presidency is trying to project.

The ADC said Nigerians are more concerned about their safety than diplomatic exchanges between presidents.

“The daily reality of Nigerians is shaped not by diplomatic correspondence, but by the guarantee that they can go about their lives without falling victim to violent crime or terrorism,” it said.

The party stressed that Trump’s letter was simply communication between two presidents and “does not amount to an endorsement of this government’s overall performance.”

It urged the Tinubu administration to focus less on celebrating diplomatic courtesies and more on delivering measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

“Ultimately, Nigerians will not judge this government by the letters it receives from foreign capitals. They will judge it by whether .…For more, Complete your reading.

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