A United States (U.S) Senator, Ted Cruz (R-TX), has openly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s government for spending millions of dollars on U.S lobbying firms.
Cruz cited the decision of Tinubu’s government to spend millions on a U.S lobbying firm as an attempt to influence Washington policymakers and counter growing scrutiny over domestic security, human rights concerns, and religious freedom in Nigeria.
He expressed disappointment at Nigeria’s engagement of a lobbying firm to communicate its actions on protecting Christians in Nigeria to the U.S government, saying it was an attempt to deflect American concerns over the country’s security crisis.
Recall that Tinubu’s government hired DCI Group, a U.S lobbying firm, in a $9 million contract last December.
The development came just months after Nigeria was designated a ‘country of particular concern’ by President Donald Trump.
According to the lobbying contract document filed with the U.S Department of Justice, Aster Legal, a law firm in Kaduna State, hired the services of DCI Group on behalf of the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu.
U.S lawmakers have since introduced several measures, including bills aimed at pressuring the Nigerian government to address the insecurity crisis.
Reacting to the situation, Cruz, who had proposed the ‘Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025’ in October, said he would hold Nigerian government officials accountable for “facilitating the mass murder of Christians.”
He added: “Nigerian officials have created an environment that facilitates mass violence against Christians and religious minorities by imposing blasphemy and Sharia laws and looking the other way at jihadist atrocities.
“The U.S government knows the Nigerian officials responsible for these policies; I have been pushing my bill to sanction them, and President Trump has even ordered military action.
“Instead of responding to American concerns, Nigerian officials waged a public relations campaign against critics. They were confident in that campaign and in their ability to continue the status quo, and I am heartened that the House has just definitively proven them wrong.”
Cruz was speaking in reaction to an amendment bill passed by the U.S House of Representatives that would increase withholding of assistance to Nigeria from 50 percent to 100 percent until the West African nation takes effective steps to prevent and respond to violence within its territory.
Lawmakers agreed to the move with a voice vote last Wednesday. The senator is not the only lawmaker who has criticised Nigeria’s lobbying efforts.
