African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain and Ovation Magazine publisher, Dele Momodu, has strongly refuted claims that Nigeria’s opposition was behind former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks alleging that Christians are being persecuted by armed groups in the country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, November 7, Momodu described the allegations as baseless and a sign of desperation from those making them.
“Anyone suggesting that the opposition influenced Trump’s comments has clearly run out of ideas,” Momodu stated. He questioned the logic behind the accusation, asking, “How can an opposition still trying to reorganize itself have the time or access to influence Washington?”
Momodu further criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for what he described as a pattern of deflecting blame, saying the party often holds others responsible for its failures.
He urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to stop politicizing national issues and instead address the worsening insecurity across the country. “If you know Pastor El-Buba in Jos, he has been crying out that Christians are being targeted,” Momodu said. “He never said Muslims aren’t also being killed, but life in Nigeria has become so cheap that even after mass killings, leaders show no empathy or sympathy. That’s what we’re talking about — and it’s not about politics.”
Momodu’s remarks came in direct response to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who had earlier accused the opposition of being behind Trump’s statement.
During an interview on Politics Today earlier in the week, Wike claimed that the opposition was fueling the “Christian genocide” narrative to divide the country and undermine the government. “The opposition knows no party is ready to challenge the President’s return to power,” Wike said. “So they resort to tactics that can cause division — and that’s exactly what’s happening.”
