In a scathing online rebuke, American missionary and human rights advocate Mike Arnold has branded President Bola Tinubu’s latest ambassadorial nominations a “big mistake” that could torpedo Nigeria’s fragile ties with the incoming Trump administration.
The Texas-based former mayor, known for his decade-long advocacy against religious violence in Nigeria, issued the warning from Capitol Hill, where he is lobbying key lawmakers.
Arnold’s critique, shared on his X account, comes at a pivotal moment. With Donald Trump set to reclaim the White House, US Congress members are recalibrating America’s Africa strategy, placing Nigeria’s rampant insecurity under a harsh spotlight.
Kidnappings, displacements, and ethnic clashes have plagued the nation, drawing bipartisan concern in Washington.
Capitol Hill Meetings Fuel Alarm
Fresh from closed-door sessions with influential congressmen shaping Trump’s Nigeria policy, Arnold painted a grim picture.
“They are already, rightfully, highly skeptical of Tinubu’s desire to end the continuing violence,” he wrote. These lawmakers, he added, view the appointments as a blatant cover-up rather than reform.
The nominees in question include high-profile non-career picks like Reno Omokri, a vocal social media influencer and ex-presidential aide, and Femi Fani-Kayode, the former aviation minister.
Both have faced accusations of downplaying atrocities against Christians and flipping political loyalties for gain. Omokri, once a critic of Tinubu, now praises him effusively, a shift Arnold calls “pathological flip-flopping.”
A Tone-Deaf Strategy Risks Isolation
Arnold didn’t mince words on Tinubu’s judgment. “By specifically appointing dishonest people solely for their zeal in denying the atrocities, he shows that his only intention is to cover it up and deflect attention,” he posted.
“Like I said, he’s not only tone deaf. He is deaf, dumb, and blind. He has no idea about the scrutiny they are under and how to deal with it.”
The missionary, who has clashed publicly with Omokri over “genocide denial,” urged Nigeria’s Senate to reject the slate. He warned it signals to youth that success demands “selling your soul,” eroding national integrity.
