Senator Ndume Slams U.S. Bill Targeting Kwankwaso, Says Sanctions Are ‘Misplaced’ and ‘Out of Place’

Senator Ali Ndume has broken his silence on the brewing diplomatic row between Washington and Kano, describing the U.S. Congress’s move to sanction Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as a “misplaced” and “fishy” maneuver. Speaking on Channels Television on Friday night, the lawmaker representing Borno South questioned the evidentiary basis for singling out the former governor in a bill targeting religious freedom violations.

The controversy stems from the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, introduced by U.S. Representative Riley Moore, which lists Kwankwaso alongside the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) for potential visa bans and asset freezes. The bill links Kwankwaso to the institutionalization of Sharia law and alleged complicity in anti-Christian violence claims the Senator finds hard to swallow.

“I am surprised that Kwankwaso’s name was mentioned, and I want to know why and how he got there,” Ndume said during the interview. “For them to mention just one former governor out of many, something must be fishy. If the U.S. has intelligence we don’t know about, they should bring it forward, but to me, these proposed sanctions are entirely out of place.”

Ndume, a veteran of the National Assembly, argued that the U.S. is “missing the mark” by labeling Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). He suggested that if the American government truly wanted to help Nigeria, it would use its financial reach to expose “People of Particular Concern” those holding the nation’s wealth in foreign accounts rather than pursuing “unfounded” political sanctions.

The Senator’s defense adds significant weight to the growing pushback from the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, both of which have branded the bill as “international blackmail.” As the bill moves through the U.S. House of Representatives, Ndume has called for a “State of Harmony” in diplomatic relations, warning that such “selective” targeting only serves to heighten political tensions in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 polls.