The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has taken aim at opposition politicians over their campaign involving alleged United States government documents on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing it as a threat to Nigeria’s image abroad.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday evening, Agbese said a Washington-based lobbying firm has been pushing to draw the attention of officials in the Donald Trump administration and members of Congress to allegations against Tinubu.
Speaking on behalf of concerned lawmakers and civil society groups, Agbese insisted that domestic political disagreements should not come at the cost of the reputation and wellbeing of Nigerians living, working and doing business abroad.
He argued that circulating old documents and unproven allegations in foreign political circles could have consequences that stretch far beyond the individuals being targeted, hitting hardest at Nigerians whose livelihoods depend on the country’s international standing.
“This has gone beyond politics. When desperate politicians begin to export their political battles and package Nigeria as a country whose leadership is allegedly built around criminality, they are not hurting President Tinubu alone,” Agbese said. “They are damaging the image of every Nigerian who travels, studies, works, does business or seeks opportunities abroad.”
While acknowledging that opposition politicians have every right to criticise the administration and challenge its policies, Agbese warned against turning foreign governments and institutions into tools for settling domestic political scores.
“Political competition is legitimate, but there must be a line that every responsible politician must refuse to cross. You cannot spend your time telling the world that your own country is being led by criminals simply because you want to defeat the person in power. At some point, you must ask what happens to the Nigerian student seeking admission, the entrepreneur looking for an international partner, the professional applying for a job and the millions of Nigerians whose identity is tied to this country,” he said.
Agbese urged the Federal Government not to be distracted by what he called politically motivated attempts to manufacture an international scandal around the President ahead of the 2027 elections. He also called on President Trump and his administration to scrutinise the motives and credibility of anyone presenting themselves as advocates for Nigeria before acting on information supplied through political lobbying.
“We call on President Trump and his administration to ignore elements whose new responsibility appears to be blackmailing the Federal Government of Nigeria and, by extension, the Nigerian people who are earnestly earning a living abroad. America and Nigeria have a relationship that is far bigger than the ambitions of desperate politicians. That relationship should be built around security, trade, investment, development and the mutual interests of both countries, not opposition-sponsored campaigns designed to influence Washington against Nigeria,” he said.
The Benue lawmaker insisted that the allegations circulating about Tinubu should be tested against proper legal and evidentiary standards rather than being repeatedly presented as established fact on the international stage. He also questioned the logic of relying on decades-old documents from a civil forfeiture proceeding to define Nigeria’s current leadership, particularly with an election approaching.
Agbese said Nigerians should be worried about the wider fallout of political campaigns that paint the country negatively before foreign governments. “We must stop treating Nigeria’s international reputation as collateral damage in our political contests. Whoever wins an election will still inherit the same country, and whoever loses will still remain a Nigerian. You cannot destroy the country’s reputation today and expect ordinary Nigerians to escape the consequences tomorrow. The damage will show up in business relationships, immigration decisions, investment opportunities and the treatment of our citizens abroad,” he warned.
Agbese said the House of Representatives would continue to defend Nigeria’s national interest while urging political actors to channel their disagreements through the country’s democratic and judicial institutions, rather than efforts to mobilise foreign actors against Nigeria.
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