The Presidency and the Christian Association of Nigeria have locked horns over allegations of genocide against Christians in the country, with both sides presenting starkly different accounts of a recent meeting held at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
The controversy erupted after Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, visited the CAN Secretariat on Monday, 20th October 2025. A statement later released by the Presidency suggested that CAN had dismissed claims of “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, sparking immediate pushback from the Christian body.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, on Tuesday accused the Presidency of distorting facts and downplaying the suffering of Christians who have been victims of repeated attacks across the country.
“The portrayal of the meeting was a deliberate attempt to misrepresent our position,” Archbishop Okoh said. “At no point during the meeting did I or any member of our delegation downplay the killings or question their genocidal nature. That portrayal is completely false and grossly unfair.”
He explained that the association’s stance on the killings has long been established and remains unchanged, warning that referring to the tragedy as a “so-called genocide” trivialises the pain of thousands who have lost loved ones, homes, and places of worship in targeted attacks.
Archbishop Okoh disclosed that during the meeting, CAN’s Director of Planning, Research and Strategy, Bishop Mike Akpami, presented verified data from www.orfa.africa showing consistent and targeted attacks on Christian communities across several regions of Africa, including Nigeria.
“The meeting was recorded by CAN’s media team, and at no point did I use such words or express such a view,” the Archbishop insisted.
The Christian body accused the Presidency of attempting to blunt international scrutiny by twisting its remarks, urging government officials and the media to communicate responsibly on issues as sensitive as faith-based violence.
“We call on the government to act with urgency, fairness, and empathy. Words must match action if peace and justice are to prevail,” CAN stated.
However, speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Bwala maintained his stance, insisting that there is no Christian genocide under the current administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“Anybody who believes in research will look at the methodology,” Bwala said. “That report’s data came from local media, NGOs, and unnamed development partners who, ironically, were the ones that introduced the issue of religion into the study.”
The presidential aide faulted CAN’s reliance on a report compiled by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, covering the period between October 2019 and September 2023, with only four months overlapping with the Tinubu administration.
He argued that within the report, the findings acknowledged that both Muslims and Christians have been victims of attacks by violent groups such as Boko Haram and bandits.
“Muslims are killed by the same groups that kill Christians, Muslims are abducted by the same groups that abduct Christians, only in different proportions,” Bwala explained.
He added that the report’s statistical breakdowns do not meet the threshold to justify claims of genocide, emphasising that genocide, by definition, involves a coordinated, intentional effort, often state-led, to eliminate a particular group based on identity.
“How can you, in all honesty, use a proportional report to establish genocide? Even the organisation that published the data never described it as genocide,” he said.
Bwala also faulted United States Senator Ted Cruz’s recent statement describing Nigeria as a site of Christian genocide, saying such claims were “politically motivated and detached from verified facts.”
“The Nigerian government is not part of any genocide,” Bwala said firmly. “President Tinubu has been consistent in pursuing peace, security, and unity across all regions, and his administration’s actions contradict the narrative of persecution.”
Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, have both dismissed claims of genocide against Christians in northern Nigeria.
Speaking at the opening of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council meeting in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday, the Sultan described the allegations as “false and destabilising,” insisting that Christians and Muslims in the North have coexisted peacefully for centuries.
“Those alleging genocide must come forward with proof,” Abubakar said. “From time immemorial, Christians and Muslims in the North are brothers. Such falsehoods are only meant to sow discord among inseparable faithful.”
The monarch also warned against the reckless use of social media, which he said was fuelling misinformation, and urged the Federal Government to strengthen regulation of online platforms.
Bishop Kukah, speaking at the launch of the Aid to the Church in Need’s 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom at the Vatican City, cautioned against renewed calls to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious persecution.
He acknowledged ongoing security challenges but said the Tinubu administration had shown “genuine signs of inclusion” that deserved encouragement rather than punishment.
“Acts of impunity still persist, but re-designating Nigeria a Country of Concern will hurt the initiatives we are working on with the current government. It will increase tensions, sow doubt, and allow criminals to exploit the situation,” he said.
The cleric contrasted the Tinubu administration’s approach with that of former President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing the latter of deepening divisions through sectarian appointments that “gave legitimacy to the persecution of Christians.”
“The last eight years marked the worst phase in the history of interfaith relations in Nigeria,” Kukah said. “That administration gave oxygen to jihadists by virtue of its policies which overtly favoured Islam and northern Nigeria.”
Both religious leaders agreed that Nigeria’s path to peace lies in unity, interfaith cooperation, and the rejection of divisive rhetoric.
