By Uzair Adam Imam
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has refuted claims that the Samoa Agreement, signed by the Federal Government, requires Nigeria to endorse or accept LGBTQ rights.
NBA President Yakubu Maikyau, in a statement, said that the agreement does not compromise Nigeria’s sovereignty or existing laws, including the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2023.
Maikyau emphasized that the NBA would have advised against signing the agreement if it contravened Nigerian laws.
He urged stakeholders to educate the public on the agreement’s true content, countering negative narratives pushed along sensitive lines of faith, culture, and morality.
The agreement recognizes Nigeria’s existing laws and sovereignty, and the NBA calls for continued public enlightenment to counter misconceptions.
Maikyau stated, “There is no provision in the SAMOA agreement that requires Nigeria to accept or recognize LGBTQ or gay rights, either as a pre-condition for a loan of $150 Billion USD or at all.
“Instead, the agreement was expressly made subject to the local laws and the sovereignty of the contracting Nations.
“That is to say, the SAMOA agreement recognizes Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2023 and the Supremacy of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“For the avoidance of any doubt, the SAMOA agreement does not seek to compromise our existing legislations nor undermine the sovereignty of Nigeria,” he added.