Former Presidential Adviser, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has urged President Bola Tinubu to address Nigerians over recent threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to deploy military forces to Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
In a statement on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed said it was disturbing that the president had yet to personally respond to the development, warning that his silence sends a troubling message about Nigeria’s leadership.
“If President Tinubu truly has capable advisers and understands the weight of his office, he should have spoken to Nigerians by now,” he said. “Our silence makes us appear weak and without direction.”
He cautioned the president against any plan to visit the United States for a meeting with Trump, saying such a move would “only worsen Nigeria’s image, like receiving a slap and smiling in return.”
Baba-Ahmed advised Tinubu to act decisively by addressing the nation, appointing ambassadors, and rebuilding Nigeria’s diplomatic presence abroad.
Trump had earlier threatened to deploy U.S. forces to Nigeria if the alleged killings of Christians continued, a claim the Nigerian government dismissed as false and misleading.
Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, said Nigeria faces terrorism, not religious persecution, and that both Christians and Muslims have suffered from extremist attacks.
Meanwhile, China declared support for Nigeria, opposing what it described as foreign interference under the guise of religion or human rights.