Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has weighed into the controversy surrounding the Federal Government’s reported $9 million expenditure on lobbyists in the United States, offering a defence of the move while apportioning blame to secessionist groups abroad.
In a statement posted on his official X handle on Friday, Sani argued that the lobbying effort must be viewed within the context of what he described as a coordinated international campaign against Nigeria. According to him, supporters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the United States were responsible for “concocting, promoting, sponsoring and hawking” claims of a so-called “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
He said the allegations were deliberately pushed to advance separatist objectives and damage Nigeria’s international standing, particularly within Western policy and human rights circles.
Sani noted that the Federal Government’s decision to engage a US-based lobbying group, reportedly at a cost of $9 million, was aimed at countering the narrative and limiting its diplomatic and economic consequences.
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“The facts of the two sides cannot be disputed,” he said, maintaining that the lobbying effort was a response to what he described as an organised plot rather than an exercise in image laundering.
Despite the expenditure, Sani acknowledged that Nigeria remains designated a “country of particular concern” on religious freedom issues, but stressed that the country is now working in partnership with the United States to combat terrorism.
His remarks come amid growing public debate over the use of public funds for foreign lobbying, with critics questioning the prioritisation of such spending in the face of pressing domestic challenges, while supporters argue it is necessary to protect Nigeria’s global reputation and strategic interests.
The comments add another layer to the ongoing national conversation on governance, accountability and how Nigeria should respond to international criticism driven by internal security and political conflicts.