US, UK lobbied me to push for same-sex marriage in Nigeria – Former minister

Former Nigerian foreign affairs minister Bola Akinyemi said the United Kingdom and the United States lobbied him to influence the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the country.

Akinyemi, who served during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, said he told the UK and US that the matter of marriage between a man and woman was a no-go area for Nigerians.

He disclosed that 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,” Akinyemi said during an interview on Arise TV.

He narrated how “the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth came visiting when we had that legislation before the National Assembly.

“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.

“(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.”