The Senate chamber witnessed a surprising exchange on Tuesday after Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Barau Jibrin, disagreed over the recent comments credited to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The exchange came during discussions about U.S. President, Donald Trump’s threat of Military Action against Nigeria over alleged Christian Genocide.
Akpabio opened the session by distancing himself from viral online claims suggesting he responded to Trump and allegedly said Nigerians were “not complaining.”
He insisted he never made such comments and condemned the publication as false.
“Who am I to answer President Trump? Somebody said that the Senate President said Nigerians are not complaining, that we like the way we are living. I have petitioned the police and the DSS,” Akpabio said.
He stated that those behind the fake quotes were trying to “create diplomatic tension” and embarrass the National Assembly.
Akpabio further alleged that photos shared online to support the fake story were edited.
The atmosphere briefly became lighter after Akpabio joked, “Who am I to answer Trump?” which triggered laughter among senators.
However, the mood changed when Jibrin stood up.
The Deputy Senate President strongly asserted that Nigerian lawmakers should not be intimidated by Trump or any foreign power.
“I’m not scared of Trump. I will say my mind. I’m a Nigerian. Nigeria is a sovereign nation,” Barau declared.
He added, “I’m a parliamentarian, the Deputy Senate President, I can speak. Don’t be scared of Trump. You can say your mind about Trump. We are a sovereign nation.”
The exchange highlighted contrasting positions within the leadership of the Senate on how to publicly react to Trump’s comments.
Meanwhile, the presidency also responded earlier in the week.
Daniel Bwala, an aide to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, speaking during a media appearance, stated that Nigeria is sovereign and accused certain foreign politicians of relying on misinformation allegedly supplied by IPOB supporters.
Bwala dismissed claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria and said intelligence reports do not support those allegations.
He argued that Trump’s comments were influenced by “tweets and pushes” backed by separatist narratives.
However, it could be recalled that the Nigerian government recently reacted to Trump’s warning, insisting Nigeria will not accept any foreign military interference and urging Washington to respect its sovereignty.