The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the United States has sought permission to appear before the US House Subcommittee on Africa to give testimony today (Thursday).

This is as American lawmakers review former President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”, CPC, over alleged religious persecution.

APC USA, in a letter to the Subcommittee Chairman, Rep. Chris Smith, disclosed that it was prepared to send a high-level delegation to present what it described as “firsthand intelligence and verifiable data” on Nigeria’s security realities.

Prof Tai Balofin, Chairman of the APC USA, confirmed the request in a statement in Abuja, saying the group hoped to provide clarity on what it views as misconceptions surrounding Nigeria’s security challenges.

“We support religious freedom for all Nigerians, but narratives abroad often fail to reflect the full complexity of the crisis.

“The insecurity in Nigeria is driven by banditry, resource conflict, climate pressures and transnational crime-not solely by religious persecution. Congress deserves the complete picture before reaching conclusions,” he said

In his statement, the proposed testimony would also emphasized on what the group sees as security gains under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The APC USA delegation also plans to recommend deeper US–Nigeria cooperation on security, intelligence sharing and humanitarian support.

The call for testimony comes shortly after Nigeria criticised the United States for excluding it from a UN event hosted by American rapper Nicki Minaj, which focused on alleged killings of Nigerians from a particular faith group.