Senator Suleiman Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila (Kano South) has criticised United States Senator Ted Cruz, over his comments on Nigeria’s security situation, warning that portraying the country’s challenges through a religious prism could deepen divisions and undermine efforts to restore peace.
In a statement yesterday, Kawu said Cruz’s position on Nigeria and his reported push for the country to be reclassified under the United States’ ‘Country of Particular Concern’ (CPC) designation misrepresented the realities of Nigeria’s security crisis.
According to him, the decision by the administration of President Donald Trump to remove Nigeria from the CPC list was based on ‘verified progress and strategic diplomatic engagement,’ arguing that renewed calls for the designation were not supported by an objective assessment of the situation.
Kawu maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and affect citizens irrespective of religion, stressing that reducing the crisis to a Christian-Muslim conflict distorts the facts and could aggravate tensions.
He said: ‘By presenting Nigeria’s multifaceted security crisis, which affects Muslims, Christians and adherents of other faiths alike, as a purely religious conflict, Senator Cruz contributes to a distorted international perception of the country.
‘This narrative has the potential to inflame tensions, undermine ongoing peace efforts and encourage external policies that may not reflect Nigeria’s actual circumstances.’
The lawmaker urged Christians in Nigeria and across the world to reject narratives capable of promoting religious division, insisting that genuine friends of Nigeria should support peace, reconciliation, sustainable development, interfaith cooperation and respect for the country’s sovereignty.
He noted that members of the nation’s security forces, drawn from different religious backgrounds, have continued to fight terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping and banditry together, while the victims of insecurity include worshippers in churches and mosques, as well as residents of markets, schools and rural communities.
According to him, overlooking these shared sacrifices in favour of what he described as a divisive political narrative does a disservice to Nigerians who have suffered from insecurity.
Kawu also reaffirmed Nigeria’s sovereignty, warning against attempts by foreign political actors to exploit the country’s internal challenges for ideological or political purposes.
He called on the international community, diplomatic partners, media organisations and Nigerians of all religious and ethnic backgrounds to reject divisive rhetoric and instead, support initiatives that promote peace, national unity, security and sustainable development.