ANALYSIS: Did Kwankwaso’s Response To Trump Trigger visa ban Consideration?

Fresh political ripples have followed a proposal by five United States lawmakers seeking visa bans and asset freezes against former Kano State Governor and national leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The proposal, contained in a bill titled Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026.

It recommends targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act against certain individuals and groups, including Kwankwaso and two Miyetti Allah organisations.

The development has triggered debate within Nigeria’s political class, with many questioning why Kwankwaso’s name surfaced among several politicians in the country amid long running security and religious freedom concerns.

However, Daily Trust reports that months before the latest development, Kwankwaso had openly reacted when President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious persecution.

In a statement posted on his verified X handle at the time, the former Kano governor cautioned against what he described as oversimplified characterisations of Nigeria’s internal challenges.

“It is important to emphasise that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country,” he said.

Kwankwaso added that insecurity in Nigeria should not be reduced to a single religious narrative.

“The security challenges we face are complex and multifaceted. They are not limited to one faith or one region,” he stated.

He further urged Washington to adopt a cooperative approach rather than punitive measures.

“The United States should assist Nigeria with advanced technology and intelligence support to combat insecurity instead of resorting to threats,” he wrote.

Kwankwaso also warned that external pronouncements capable of inflaming tensions could worsen an already delicate situation.

“Care must be taken not to escalate tensions or deepen divisions within our diverse society,” he said.

Following that response, some of the U.S. lawmakers now backing the proposed sanctions bill, including its author Rep Riley Moore, engaged in exchanges on social media platform X where they referenced Kwankwaso in discussions about religious freedom and Shari’a implementation in northern Nigeria.

Moore criticized Kwankwaso, accusing him of complicity in the persecution and killing of Christians following his administration’s implementation of sharia law in 2000.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Moore wrote: “Governor do you care to comment on your own complicity in the death of Christians? You instituted sharia law. You signed the law that makes so-called blasphemy punishable by death.”

His remarks were accompanied by a post dated November 26, 2000, titled “Kano introduces full sharia law.”

The article, written by Barnaby Phillips, reported that Kano state, under Kwankwaso’s leadership, was bringing the Islamic legal code into full effect, joining other northern Nigerian states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Yobe, Jigawa, and Borno.

It was noted that Sharia law had been formally launched in Kano at a rally attended by hundreds of thousands of people, though the legal provisions were only fully implemented months later.

The story also highlighted that Kwankwaso had come under tremendous pressure to follow the example of other northern states in adopting full sharia law.

Months after that verbal exchange, Kwankwaso’s name has resurfaced in the proposed legislation, fuelling speculation in political circles about whether his earlier rebuttal may have shaped perceptions in Washington and among the Republican lawmakers.

The bill seeks to compel the U.S. Secretary of State to determine whether sanctions should be imposed.

No official visa ban or asset freeze has been announced against Kwankwaso.

The Federal Government has consistently denied allegations of systemic religious persecution, maintaining that both Christians and Muslims are victims of terrorism and criminal violence.

Whether the bill progresses through the U.S. legislative process remains uncertain.

But the renewed spotlight on Kwankwaso has added a fresh diplomatic undertone to Nigeria’s engagement with the United States over religious freedom and security narratives.

Daily Trust reports that this latest development is coming in the wake of Nigeria and the United States having signed a security cooperation roadmap to tackle Boko Haram, ISIS-affiliated groups.

The signing of the roadmap comes against a backdrop of strained relations between Nigeria and the United States.

Congressman Riley Moore also recently visited Nigeria and highlighted the gravity of the situation during an appearance on Fox News.

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