US, Britain ‘lobbied’ me to facilitate adoption of same-sex marriage in Nigeria – Ex-minister – Premium Times

Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi, has said that the British and United States governments “lobbied’ him to facilitate the adoption of same-sex marriage in Nigeria.

Mr Akinyemi stated this when he appeared as a guest on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Wednesday.

“I am not in favour of man and man marriage or woman and woman marriage,” he said while speaking on the recent overturning of abortion rights by the US Supreme Court.

Mr Akinyemi, a professor of political science, served as Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs between 1985 and 1987 under the military government of Ibrahim Babangida.

“Part of why I feel strongly about this man and man marriage or woman and woman marriage is the fact that the Americans even try to force down our throats in Nigeria,” he stated.

Nigeria, in 2014, passed a law which outlawed same-sex marriage or sexual relationships, with offenders likely to face 14 years jail term on conviction.

The former minister said he was lobbied by officials of the two countries to prevail on Nigerian authorities to reverse the policy while the legislation was being initiated at the National Assembly.

“I know how I was lobbied by the US and Britain when (former President Goodluck) Jonathan was in power. The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth came visiting when we had that legislation before the National Assembly.

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“And he also consulted me about how he should handle the situation in his meeting with President Jonathan and I advised him that that was a ‘no-go area’ for us.

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“(This is because) we don’t like being told the definition of marriage in Nigeria. I also told him that it (adopting gay marriage) will simply heat up the system,” Mr Akinyemi said.

Nigeria, like many other African countries, is opposed to same-sex marriage and has laws criminalising it. However, human rights advocates have warned that such laws violate the rights of adults to choose their sexual partners and could lead to discrimination.

Same-sex marriage has, however, been accepted in many Western countries.