The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of betraying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following Nigeria’s redesignation by former United States President Donald Trump as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” over alleged genocide against Christians.
MURIC, in a statement signed by its Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the move was based on “false and misleading narratives” allegedly pushed by certain Christian leaders and amplified by CAN.
The statement, issued on Saturday, came a day after Trump announced Nigeria’s return to the CPC list, citing alleged mass killings of Christians in the country, a claim the Nigerian government has vehemently denied.
Akintola described the U.S. decision as “blurred, misplaced and distorted,” insisting it did not reflect the true situation in Nigeria.
“Despite vehement denial of Christian genocide by the Nigerian government, US President Donald Trump yesterday redesignated Nigeria as a country of particular concern,” Akintola said. “This redesignation is a complete misrepresentation of the true picture on ground in Nigeria.”
MURIC accused unnamed Christian leaders of influencing the decision through petitions to the U.S. Congress, alleging that Christians were being systematically targeted in Nigeria. The organisation expressed disappointment that CAN, rather than countering the claims, allegedly endorsed them.
“It will be recalled that certain Christian leaders had written frivolous petitions to the US Congress claiming that Christians were the only ones being killed by terrorists in Nigeria,” the statement read.
“Instead of debunking this false and misleading narrative, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) simply amplified it.”
According to MURIC, such actions by CAN and other Christian leaders amount to “a stab in the back” against President Tinubu, who it said had shown extraordinary goodwill toward Nigerian Christians since assuming office.
The group argued that Tinubu’s administration had given Christians preferential consideration in federal appointments, citing the President’s own confirmation that 62 percent of appointments went to Christians, and noting that the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had also extended “generous support” to the Christian community.
“CAN’s action is a stab in the back in view of President Tinubu’s preference of Christians in appointments, favours and privileges over and above his Muslim brethren,” MURIC stated.
“The president himself confirmed that 62% of all appointments went to the Christians. The First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, was even more generous to them than Father Christmas.”
The organisation said it was “nonplussed” by the attitude of CAN, describing the move as the “Mother of all Betrayals.”
“President Tinubu does not deserve this,” MURIC declared. “It is the Mother of all Betrayals, and we denounce those behind the report in the strongest terms.”
While acknowledging that the U.S. government might have its own foreign policy motives, MURIC maintained that some Nigerians contributed to the decision by feeding American officials with “misleading narratives” about the religious situation in the country.
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