Presidential aide Temitope Ajayi has refuted reports claiming that President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to meet with United States Vice President J.D. Vance, describing the story as “completely false.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ajayi clarified that no such meeting was planned, dismissing the viral claim circulating on social media.
“There is a story that President Tinubu is going to the US on Tuesday to see US Vice President J.D. Vance. That story is not true,” Ajayi wrote. “If President Tinubu is going to the White House, he won’t be going to see a Vice President.”
The clarification followed speculation that former US President Donald Trump had delegated Vice President J.D. Vance to meet with Tinubu to discuss alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria — an issue that has sparked diplomatic tension after Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
Trump had also threatened possible military action if the Nigerian government failed to address what he described as “mass killings of Christians.”
Tinubu’s adviser on policy communication, Daniel Bwala, earlier said the Nigerian leader was open to dialogue with Washington to clarify Nigeria’s position and ongoing security efforts, adding that both presidents could meet “in the coming days” either in Abuja or Washington.
Also reacting, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said Tinubu had already taken decisive measures to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to protecting citizens of all faiths.
“Nigeria remains a secular state that guarantees freedom of religion,” Onanuga stated, adding that the government “will continue to defend the truth against exaggerated foreign narratives.”
