Ismaeel Aleem
A prominent chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has implored President Bola Tinubu to urgently strategise with his team and the Nigerian populace in response to United States President Donald Trump’s alarming threat of military intervention over escalating violence against Christians.
Momodu voiced this plea on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, reacting to Trump’s provocative declaration.
According to New Daily Prime report, Trump asserted he had instructed the US Department of Defense recently rebranded by him as the “Department of War” to prepare for “fast” and “vicious” action, potentially including troops on Nigerian soil, should the government fail to curb the “killing of Christians” by Islamist militants.
The US President’s rhetoric, posted on Truth Social on 1 November, warned: “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists.”
This followed Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom violations, echoing longstanding concerns from US evangelical groups and figures like Senator Ted Cruz about attacks by Boko Haram and other extremists.
Momodu, a seasoned journalist and 2023 presidential aspirant, acknowledged Tinubu’s prowess in domestic politicking but stressed the gravity of this international crisis.
“The president needs to get people who have the capacity to speak and will be listened to. Not all these political jobbers. The president is very good at politicking.
He can make all governors in Nigeria join the All Progressives Congress (APC), but we have passed that stage now,” he remarked.
Reflecting on the unforeseen peril, Momodu noted: “Two weeks ago, if anybody told you that President Tinubu would be in this precarious situation, all he would have said is ‘no, it’s not possible.’
“I saw him speaking last night, and I must confess that I felt for him because this is not the best time to be the president of Nigeria.”
He called for introspection and robust diplomacy, warning that Nigeria’s porous borders and regional alliances could amplify any escalation.
“He now has to put on the thinking cap for himself, for his team, and for all of us in Nigeria,” Momodu urged, advocating engagement with credible envoys over partisan intermediaries.
The threat has ignited bipartisan alarm in Nigeria, with Tinubu’s administration rejecting claims of religious bias and welcoming US counter-terrorism aid while defending sovereignty.
As diplomatic cables intensify, Momodu’s counsel underscores the imperative for Tinubu to pivot from internal consolidation to global advocacy, lest Trump’s “guns-a-blazing” vow unravel West African stability.
