A heated diplomatic row has erupted on social media between Bashir Ahmad, a former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, and Elias Gerasoulis, a United States-based lobbyist, following fresh calls from Washington for Nigeria to dismantle its Sharia legal structures.
The confrontation was triggered by a recent joint briefing at the US House of Representatives, where experts urged American lawmakers to pressure the Nigerian government to halt the implementation of Sharia law in northern states and dissolve the Hisbah religious police.
The Trigger: Washington’s New Stance
During the briefing, held in response to President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” witnesses argued that religious laws were fueling anti-Christian persecution.
Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, testified that violent extremist groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, and radicalized elements were exploiting Sharia structures and Hisbah operatives to enforce forced conversions and push extremist ideologies with minimal state resistance. He proposed that the US use incentives to pressure Abuja into disbanding these bodies as a counter-terrorism strategy.
“Blatant Intrusion”
Reacting to the reports, Bashir Ahmad took to X (formerly Twitter) to denounce the recommendations. He characterized the proceedings in Washington as a direct violation of Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Ahmad argued that the United States lacks the authority to dictate how Nigerians manage their internal governance or religious practices.
“I must say this is a blatant intrusion into our internal affairs! The United States has absolutely no right to dictate to us how we should live, govern ourselves or practice our faith,” Ahmad wrote. He emphasized that Nigeria operates under its own constitution, democratic institutions, and cultural values.
The “Venezuela” Comparison
The exchange escalated when Elias Gerasoulis responded to Ahmad’s defense of sovereignty with a sharp rebuke. The lobbyist argued that the Nigerian state had forfeited its right to international respect.
“Nigeria doesn’t warrant the respect of a sovereign nation. The US should approach Nigeria in the same way it approaches Venezuela,” Gerasoulis stated, implying the need for severe sanctions or regime-change tactics.
Ahmad fired back, describing the lobbyist’s comments as an affront to the nation’s population. “It is an insult to more than 232 million people, to our Constitution and to our democratic institutions. Who do you think you are to look down on our country?” he asked.
Escalation and Conspiracy Theories
Doubling down, Gerasoulis dismissed Nigeria’s legitimacy entirely. He described the nation as an “artificial neo-colonial construct” designed by the British to empower Northern Islamists to dominate other ethnic groups.
In a personal attack on Ahmad’s former principal, the lobbyist referenced the debunked conspiracy theory that former President Buhari had been replaced by a clone or body double.
“I guess you like that, considering you worked for the former despot of Nigeria… (or shall I call him Jubril of Sudan). Your so-called democracy is not real democracy, but a bad joke!” Gerasoulis wrote.
The Lobbyist Behind the Rhetoric
Elias Gerasoulis is a lobbyist with Moran Global Strategies and currently represents the Biafra Government in Exile (BRGIE). He has been a central figure in propagating the narrative of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria to Capitol Hill.
His lobbying efforts have reportedly gained traction within the Trump administration’s orbit. In October, he facilitated meetings between BRGIE officials and US Senator Ted Cruz, preceding the introduction of a legislative bill focused on religious persecution in Nigeria. Gerasoulis maintains that his rhetoric supports “liberation movements” seeking justice.
