‘Who am I to answer Trump?’ Akpabio’s comic relief amid US-Nigeria diplomatic tension

There was high drama and a hint of comedy in the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, following fresh controversy over former U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to take military action against Nigeria.

What began as a solemn clarification by Senate President Godswill Akpabio soon spiralled into a spirited exchange that left the chamber torn between diplomacy and defiance and the rest of the country, in laughter.

The uproar stemmed from a viral report published by an online platform, Rant HQ, which falsely claimed that Akpabio had “rebuffed” Trump’s comments, adding that Nigerians were “not complaining” about their living conditions.

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The visibly angry Senate President distanced himself from the alleged statement, describing it as “false, malicious, and calculated to cause diplomatic tension.”

“The fake report claimed I said Nigerians are not complaining and that we like the way we are living. That is completely false. I have petitioned the police and the DSS,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President went further to express disbelief at how someone could, “from the comfort of their room, fabricate a story and attach old photos from 2023 when I visited Port Harcourt,” before jokingly adding, “Who am I to answer Trump?”

But that light-hearted remark, intended to ease the tension, instead lit up the chamber like a spark in dry grass.

No sooner had Akpabio finished speaking than his deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin, rose to his feet with a counterpoint that drew murmurs and some applause from his colleagues.

“I’m not scared of Trump. I will say my mind. I’m a Nigerian. Nigeria is a sovereign nation,” Barau declared, chest out, voice firm.

He continued, “I’m a parliamentarian, the Deputy Senate President. I can speak. Don’t be scared of Trump. You can say your mind about Trump. We are a sovereign nation.”
The Senate chamber momentarily turned into a theatre of laughter and patriotic banter.

While some lawmakers thumped their tables in approval, others exchanged amused glances, clearly enjoying the unintended comic relief.

Diplomacy or defiance?

Beyond the humour, the exchange highlighted a subtle but significant divide between the two presiding officers on how the Nigerian legislature should handle the diplomatic row.
Akpabio’s position was that the Senate should tread carefully and allow the Executive to lead the nation’s response.

“It is the Presidency that will respond to President Trump, not the Senate President,” he said. “But who is that person that would ascribe a comment to me when I was never contacted?”

He further urged security agencies to investigate those behind the viral story, warning that such misinformation could “cause friction and bring the Nigerian Senate into disrepute.”

“I believe the Cybercrimes Unit of the Police, the DSS, and others should find that character out. This is meant to sow division. Social media should not be allowed to break Nigeria,” Akpabio said.

For Akpabio, the matter was less about Trump and more about the growing menace of fake news.

But Barau’s interjection had shifted the spotlight from misinformation to national pride.

Over the weekend, Trump had taken to his social media platform to accuse Nigeria of persecuting Christians and threatened military intervention if the killings were not halted.

He claimed that Nigeria faced “an existential threat” to its Christian population, directing the Pentagon to “prepare for possible action,” and warning that the U.S. could suspend all aids to Nigeria.

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The comments, which triggered widespread outrage in Abuja, coincided with Washington’s decision to re-add Nigeria to its “Country of Particular Concern” list for religious freedom violations, a move the Nigerian government swiftly rejected.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, described the claims as “baseless and misleading,” insisting that Nigeria protects freedom of religion for all citizens.

Senate’s earlier stance

Just weeks before the Trump’s latest episode, the Nigerian Senate had, on October 9, unanimously condemned what it termed the “false and dangerous” narrative of a Christian genocide in Nigeria.

In a motion sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) and co-sponsored by ten others, lawmakers warned that such portrayals were being “weaponised by foreign interests and advocacy groups.”

“Nigeria’s insecurity is multi-faceted driven by terrorism, poverty, banditry, and communal conflicts, not by religion,” Ndume said.

“Labeling it a ‘Christian genocide’ distorts the truth and misguides international partners.”

Senator Suleiman Kawu (Kano South) added that the U.S. proposal to sanction Nigerian officials was “ill-informed,” arguing that “Muslims and Christians alike have been victims of terrorism.”

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South) called for a more nuanced counterterrorism strategy, warning that “sanctions breed poverty, and poverty knows no religion.”

Akpabio, presiding over that earlier session, had reinforced the same point, “When attacks occur in Christian communities, Christians die; when they happen in Muslim regions, Muslims are victims. Terrorists are not targeting religion; they are targeting Nigerians.”

Yet, Tuesday’s back-and-forth between Akpabio and Barau injected rare humour into what had been a tense diplomatic week.

The contrast between Akpabio’s cautious diplomacy and Barau’s bold nationalism offered Nigerians a light moment amid serious foreign policy debates.

Observers couldn’t resist the irony, that in a country still battling inflation, insecurity, and fuel scarcity, it was a phantom Trump comment that momentarily united lawmakers across party lines, if only in laughter.

“Who am I to answer Trump?”

became an instant quip among journalists in the press gallery, while Barau’s “We’re not scared of Trump” quickly earned him praise on social media as the Senate’s “chief defender of sovereignty.”

Fake news, real consequences

Beyond the laughter, Akpabio’s frustration with the fake publication was unmistakable. He warned that misinformation, if unchecked, could fuel diplomatic misunderstandings and threaten national unity.

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“Social media should not be allowed to break Nigeria,” he said, calling for “a stronger legal response to deliberate falsehoods.”

He reaffirmed that the Senate would only issue an official position after the Federal Government clarified its diplomatic response to Trump’s remarks.

“When the executive responds, we will take a position as a Senate. Until then, no one should speak for this institution,” Akpabio stated.

As the Senate adjourned, one thing was clear: while Trump’s virtual war drums echoed across the Atlantic, Nigeria’s lawmakers were fighting their own battle, against fake news, bruised egos, and the occasional burst of comic bravado.

Akpabio, the seasoned diplomat, wants calm; Barau, the bold deputy, wants courage. Between them lies Nigeria’s eternal dilemma, to shout back or smile quietly when the world points fingers.

For now, at least, the Senate has chosen a middle path: let Trump roar from afar; Nigeria will respond in plenary with petitions, motions, and perhaps, another round of laughter.

After all, as for now, “Trump may have the Pentagon, but the Nigerian Senate has the plenary and microphones.”