United States President, Donald Trump, is still exerting pressure on President Bola Tinubu over allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria, according to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Mr Akpabio made the remark while expressing concern that more than 200 schoolchildren abducted by bandits remain in captivity.
He raised the matter on Wednesday during the Senate’s screening of Christopher Musa, nominated by President Tinubu as defence minister.
Reacting to the suggestion by Sani Musa, senator representing Niger East, that the former chief of defence staff should be allowed to “bow and go,” Mr Akpabio insisted the nominee must face rigorous questioning on the state of national security.
The Senate president referenced mounting concerns from the U.S. government, saying Mr Musa should be asked about Mr Trump’s reported threat to invade Nigeria in order to combat terrorism.
“Even Nigerians will love to ask him questions at a time like this, so if we come here and we do politics, politics of bow and go… This is not a period we should say ‘bow and go’,” Mr Akpabio noted. “Even Donald Trump is on our neck; we have not yet asked him what his response will be to Donald Trump, the president of America.”
Mr Akpabio stressed that the nominee holds significant responsibility and should not be excused from scrutiny.
“He is not just anybody,” he said. “He was the chief of defence staff and a nominee for minister of defence of a country, and you stand up and say he should take a bow and go with so many questions on the mouths of Nigerians with over 200 Nigerian children in the bush kidnapped and being tortured.”
The comments come after the abduction of more than 250 pupils from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri in Niger State, an incident that has drawn nationwide outrage.
Last week, shortly after the mass kidnapping, Mr Akpabio and other senators attended a dinner at the Presidential Villa. Reading Mrs Tinubu’s invitation during plenary, the Senate president said, “Remi Tinubu, CON, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is like an invitation by a mother to her children on Friday. I wish you (a) sumptuous meal and fruitful discussion.”
