President Bola Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, has sharply criticised U.S. Congressman Riley Moore over recent comments alleging the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Dada—known by his handle @DaddyDO—described Moore as “ignorant” of Nigeria’s religious and cultural landscape.

“Firstly, let me say, Congressman Riley, you are ignorant — if not more ignorant than Ted Cruz — about Nigeria,” Dada wrote.

He emphasised that Nigeria is a “proud, sovereign nation built on the faith and resilience of its people,” asserting that “no faith is under siege, no community is excluded.”

“Our churches, mosques, and traditional shrines stand side by side — not as rivals, but as symbols of the unity that binds us,” he added.

Dada’s response came after Moore published a series of posts on Monday, labelling Nigeria as “the deadliest country in the world for Christians.” The U.S. lawmaker also called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged widespread religious persecution.

Citing figures from the Boko Haram insurgency, Moore claimed that over 50,000 Christians have been killed and more than 5 million displaced since 2009. He also alleged that 250 priests have been attacked or killed and over 19,000 churches destroyed in the same period. Additionally, Moore accused some Nigerian state and federal officials of complicity in the violence and criticised the enforcement of anti-blasphemy laws.

His comments echoed similar allegations made by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who in September accused Nigerian authorities of “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”

In his rebuttal, Dada rejected the claims by both lawmakers as misleading and uninformed, arguing that they misrepresent Nigeria’s complex but functional religious coexistence.

He also referenced a past interview involving Cruz, suggesting that the senator lacked adequate understanding of both Iran and Nigeria.

I hope #TuckerCarlson can ask #TedCruz this line of questions again, but this time about Nigeria. Ted Cruz wanted the states to go to war with Iran, but didn’t know the population or cultural makeup of Iran — same total ignorance about Nigeria,” Dada wrote.

Dada’s remarks reflect growing sensitivity within the Nigerian government toward external narratives that portray the country as intolerant or unsafe for religious minorities. The presidency has repeatedly insisted that Nigeria, while facing security challenges, remains a multi-faith nation committed to religious freedom and unity.