The founding National Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Udenta
Udenta, says U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to intervene
militarily in Nigeria should serve as a wake-up call for the Federal
Government to urgently confront worsening insecurity in the country.
Udenta stated this on Monday, while reacting to Trump’s recent comments warning of
possible U.S. military action over continued attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
“It’s a wake-up call. One of the positives of this
brash statement of ‘guns-a-blazing’ and ‘disgraced country’ is that it has now
re-mobilised our national engine rooms,” Udenta said.
“The President has started holding meetings with
critical stakeholders in the Villa.”
‘Pressure From Abroad Can Spur Action’
Udenta noted that the Bola Tinubu administration
had been slow to lead from the front on security matters but said the external
pressure from Trump’s comments could push the government to act decisively.
“Sometimes, if you don’t lead, others will compel you
to lead. For years, this President and his team have refused to lead from the
front on insecurity,” he said.
“External pressure can serve as a wake-up call. If you
can’t do it yourself, others may compel you to do it.”
He described Trump’s statement as an exercise of “the
bully pulpit power” of the U.S. presidency, noting that while the rhetoric
was harsh, it could also unite Nigerians against a common security threat.
‘Nigeria’s Peace Architecture Has
Collapsed’
Udenta lamented what he called the collapse of
Nigeria’s internal security system, saying:
“The peace architecture of the state is horrifying
today. It has virtually broken down into pieces and must be reconstituted.”
He also faulted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
for what he termed inactivity, arguing that the recent mobilisation of
ambassadors showed the government was only now “awakening from slumber.”
Udenta backed recent calls by Pastor Enoch Adeboye,
the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), who
urged the government to take urgent and coordinated action to end terrorism.
Adeboye’s 90-Day Ultimatum
Last Friday, Pastor Adeboye called on President
Tinubu to eliminate terrorists within 90 days, stressing that Nigeria’s
insecurity had reached intolerable levels.
He also advised the President to engage
diplomatically with the U.S. to persuade Trump to delay any planned
military intervention for 100 days while Nigeria demonstrated progress in
tackling insurgency.
“The government must expose and eliminate the sponsors
of terrorism, no matter how powerful they are,” Adeboye said.
Trump’s Order and U.S. Contingency Plans
Trump’s controversial comments come amid reports that
the U.S. military has begun drawing up contingency plans for
potential airstrikes in Nigeria.
According to reports, Trump directed the Pentagon
to “prepare to intervene” to protect Christians, with operational options
ranging from “light” to “heavy” involvement.
The “heavy” option reportedly includes deploying an aircraft
carrier strike group to the Gulf of Guinea, while the “medium”
option focuses on drone-based strikes using MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1
Predator aircraft.
A “light” plan would involve intelligence sharing and
limited joint operations with Nigerian forces.
However, U.S. officials reportedly acknowledged that
limited airstrikes alone would not end Nigeria’s insurgency without a larger,
sustained campaign.
Trump, on his social media platform Truth Social,
wrote:
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the
killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will stop all aid and may go into that now
disgraced country, guns-a-blazing, to completely wipe out the Islamic
terrorists.”
Tinubu Responds: ‘Nigeria Not Hostile to
Christians’
President Bola Tinubu has since dismissed
Trump’s claims, insisting that Nigeria remains a multi-religious nation
committed to protecting citizens of all faiths.
In a personally signed statement, the President said:
“The description does not reflect our national
reality. My administration has maintained open engagement with both Christian
and Muslim leaders since 2023 to address our security challenges.”
Tinubu reaffirmed his willingness to collaborate
with the U.S. and the international community to protect communities across
Nigeria and safeguard religious freedom.
Nationwide Reactions
The exchange has since sparked a diplomatic row
and dominated national discourse for more than two weeks, as Nigerians
debate both the implications of Trump’s threat and the government’s response to
the country’s persistent insecurity.
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