Nigeria Christian groups petition US officials over Muslim‑Muslim presidential ticket

A coalition of Christian groups and human‑rights organisations from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria submitted a petition to US President Donald Trump, the US Congress and diplomatic missions accredited to Nigeria. The petition, signed by leaders of the Christian Youth Alliance of Nigeria (CYAN) such as Chairman Zariyi Yusuf Madaki and Secretary Nasiru Jagaba, warns that retaining a Muslim‑Muslim presidential ticket for the 2027 election poses the gravest political threat to the safety of Christians, especially in the north.

The coalition praised the United States’ redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, but noted that attacks on Christians continue, citing the killing of at least 30 Christians in the Naridon community of Kaduna State. It argues that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to keep the same‑faith ticket will further entrench violence and marginalisation of Christians.

The petition was distributed to journalists in Jos and copied to the US Secretary of State, members of the Senate and House of Representatives, and heads of diplomatic missions.