A diplomatic exchange has emerged on social media between former Canadian Member of Parliament Goldie Ghamari and Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, following questions about alleged displays of support for Iran’s leadership in Nigeria.
Ghamari, writing on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, revealed that she directly confronted Minister Tuggar about reports of Nigerian children holding photographs of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and waving flags of what she described as the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“I asked the Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar why Nigerian children hold pictures of Khamenei and wave flags of the terrorist Islamic dictatorship in Iran,” the former Canadian legislator stated in her post on the social media platform.
The former MP, who identifies as Iranian, referenced the contentious political situation in Iran, describing the Islamic Republic as an evil dictatorship that has been responsible for the deaths of Iranians over nearly five decades. Her statement reflects the perspective of many Iranian diaspora members and critics of the current Iranian government.
According to Ghamari’s account of the interaction, Minister Tuggar did not provide a substantive response to her question. Instead, she alleges that the Nigerian Foreign Minister dismissed her claims entirely, accusing her of fabricating the information.
“Instead of answering, he said I’m LYING,” Ghamari wrote, capitalizing the word for emphasis in her social media post.
The exchange highlights tensions surrounding Nigeria’s relationship with Iran and raises questions about the presence of pro-Iranian sentiment or activities within certain Nigerian communities. Some Nigerian groups, particularly within Shia Muslim communities, have historically expressed support for Iran’s Islamic Republic and its leadership.
Neither the Nigerian Foreign Ministry nor Minister Tuggar has issued an official statement addressing the social media exchange at the time of this report.
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