Gay Rights: Buhari rejects US’s sodomy law, says Presidency
- nationalpilot
- Jul 23, 2015
- 2 min read
*Nigerians locked out in US during visit
President Muhammadu Buhari has clearly informed United States lawmakers that Nigeria cannot shift its anti-gay stance, the presidency said Wednesday.
Speaking at the joint session of U.S. Senate and House Committees on Foreign Affairs Wednesday, Mr. Buhari said sodomy is against Nigeria’s law and abhorrent to its culture.
Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the president was “point blank” in declaring Nigeria’s position on the issue of gay marriage and rights.
Adesina said the matter was not pushed at the session after the president made his point.
“The issue of gay marriage came up here yesterday,” Adeisna tweeted Wednesday.
“PMB was point blank. Sodomy is against the law in Nigeria, and abhorrent to our culture. Talks shifted to another matter once PMB emphatically stated Nigeria’s stand on same sex marriage. The issue was not pushed,” Adesina said.
Besides Nigeria’s criminal laws which outlaw gay acts and union, the country in 2014 approved an anti-gay law with stringent penalties for homosexual relationships.
Under the law, gay persons face up to 14 years in prison if convicted.
Meanwhile, at least 200 Nigerians resident in the United States were locked out of a scheduled town hall meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Washington DC on Tuesday.
The meeting was one of many activities planned for the state visit of President Buhari. It was, however, the only forum set aside for interaction between diaspora Nigerians and their president, and one of a few activities organized solely by the staff of the Nigerian Embassy.
Information about the meeting trickled out to some Nigerian organizations, including Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) and APC USA chapter, weeks before the President arrived.
Invitation cards bearing Nigerian colours and coat of arms were specially designed for the event, some of which were allocated to Nigerian organizations, and some individuals.
The cards specified that the town hall meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, from 6 to 8 pm and that it was to hold at the Nigerian Embassy. It also stated that invitees should wear business or national attire and that guests reply to one Bukar Kolo.
A source within the Nigerian community stated that the Embassy printed only 200 copies of the invitation cards. He did not explain why so many Nigerian who showed up for the town hall meeting were left standing outside the fence around the Embassy.
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