Trump Vs. Tinubu: Adviser Reacts To Controversial CPC Declaration

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has challenged the United States’ claims that Christians are being subjected to genocide in Nigeria, emphasizing that “Muslim lives matter too.”

Onanuga’s comments came on Saturday in response to a post by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on (formerly Twitter), regarding President Donald Trump’s decision to label Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians.

Rubio described the “ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria by radical Islamists and Fulani ethnic militias” as “tragic and unacceptable,” adding, “As @POTUS said, the United States stands ready, willing, and able to act.”

Replying to Rubio, Onanuga dismissed the claims as “gross exaggerations” and called on the U.S. to address Nigeria’s security issues with objectivity, rather than framing them as a religious conflict.

“Secretary Rubio, Muslim lives matter too,” he wrote.

He clarified that the country’s insecurity stems from terrorism and criminal activity, not religion.

“There is no ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria. What we see are sporadic attacks on some villages by bandits and terrorists, and these attacks target both Christians and Muslims indiscriminately. Churches and mosques alike have been attacked,” Onanuga explained.

The presidential aide stressed that Nigeria does not need to be put on a watchlist but instead requires strategic military support to combat violent extremists in affected regions.

“What Nigeria needs from the United States is military assistance to fight violent extremists in certain states, not a designation as a nation of particular concern,” he concluded.