Tinubu Counters Genocide Claims, Says ‘No Faith Under Siege in Nigeria’

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday dismissed allegations of religious genocide in Nigeria, declaring that “no faith is under siege” and warning against attempts to sow division in the country.

Speaking in Owerri, Imo State, at the public presentation of A Decade of APC Governance, a book authored by Governor Hope Uzodimma, Tinubu described the claims as “unfounded and misleading,” insisting that Nigeria remains a nation built on unity and resilience.

“Here, no faith is under siege, no community is excluded. Our churches, mosques, and traditional shrines stand side by side—not as rivals, but as symbols of the unity that binds us,” he said at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Convention Centre.

The remarks followed comments by American comedian and political commentator Bill Maher, who alleged on his talk show, Real Time with Bill Maher, that Christians were being systematically killed in Nigeria. Tinubu, however, rejected the assertion, stressing that Nigeria would not “accept lectures from those who seek to profit from our divisions.”

He added: “We must never allow outsiders to tell us who we are. Nigeria’s diversity is our strength, not our weakness.”

Reflecting on ten years of the All Progressives Congress in power, the President argued that the country was better positioned today than in 2015 when the party assumed leadership. While admitting that challenges and mistakes were recorded under previous administrations, Tinubu maintained that the APC “changed the direction of Nigeria for good” through infrastructure investment, anti-corruption measures, and the fight against terrorism.

The President also used the occasion to reassure the South-East of his administration’s commitment under the Renewed Hope Agenda, commissioning projects including the Owerri-Mbaise-Umuahia road, the Assumpta Twin Flyover, and the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Convention Centre.

“I know there were times when this region felt left out. But under Renewed Hope, no part of Nigeria will be abandoned. The South-East is not on the margins; you are at the centre of our national rebirth,” he declared.

The event attracted top APC leaders including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, former Senate Presidents Ahmad Lawan and Anyim Pius Anyim, as well as ex-governors Adams Oshiomhole and Abdullahi Ganduje.

Akpabio hailed Tinubu’s education loan scheme for giving hope to young Nigerians, while Uzodimma lauded the President’s reforms, noting that improved federal allocations had enabled states to execute critical projects.

Traditional and religious leaders, diplomats, student bodies, and market associations were also in attendance.