I Blocked Remi Tinubu From Using My Platform to Cover Up Nigeria’s Problems – U.S. Broadcaster
American television host and conservative commentator Tony Perkins has claimed that Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, once approached him to discuss issues of religious freedom in the country, but he declined the request, saying he did not want his platform used to “cover up” realities in Nigeria.
Perkins, who hosts the Washington Watch programme and serves as President of the Family Research Council, made the disclosure during an edition with U.S. lawmaker Chris Smith on February 4, when religious freedom was discussed.
According to him, the Nigerian First Lady sought an engagement that would portray the situation of religious freedom in Nigeria in a favourable light.
“I rejected it,” Perkins said, explaining that he was unwilling to allow his media platform to be used to gloss over or downplay serious challenges facing the country.
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He stressed that issues such as insecurity, religious persecution and governance failures must be addressed honestly rather than repackaged for international audiences.
“The First Lady of Nigeria was here this week, and in fact, they wanted to come on the programme to talk about religious freedom, and I said, ‘I’m not gonna meet with them or have a meeting with anybody.
“I’m not gonna give them a platform to cover up what they’re doing in Nigeria,” Perkins said.
Mrs Tinubu visited the U.S. and attended the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.
Her presence was recognised at the event by President Donald Trump, a development that pro-Tinubu supporters celebrated as a major diplomatic win for the Nigerian government amid pressure from the U.S. government.
Tinubu has been under pressure from the American government since Trump declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over the alleged killing of Christians in November.
The first lady’s visit came months after the federal government reportedly splashed millions of dollars on Republican lobbyists to burnish his tainted reputation in Washington following Trump’s 2025 remarks denouncing Nigeria as “a disgrace” under his leadership.
The Tinubu administration has repeatedly faced criticism over worsening insecurity and allegations of religious and ethnic bias, claims the government has consistently denied.
As of the time of filing this report, the office of the First Lady has not issued any official response to Perkins’ comments.
The disclosure adds to growing international scrutiny of Nigeria’s internal challenges and how they are presented on the global stage.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
