A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu, has called on President Bola Tinubu to engage with the United States over threat of a military takeover by President Donald Trump.
Trump had threatened to carry out attacks in Nigeria in response to anti-Christian violence, saying he instructed the recently renamed Department of War to “prepare for possible action”.
In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said the United States would immediately cut off all assistance to the African country “if the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians”.
Reacting in a press conference, the senior lawyer maintained that Nigeria needs to initiate peace overtures with the US.
He wants President Tinubu to personally lead the delegation that involves all heads of government to avert what he described as the outbreak of a US war against Nigeria.
Shittu asked Tinubu to put on hold other official engagements to address what he referred to as an existential threats against Nigeria and its people.
The senior lawyer also called on Nigerians to unite to support the government at levels to confront the challenge.
“In the face of latest US threats of a possible action against Nigeria, i urge the Nigerian president and the ruling elite to immediately engage the US president in a diplomatic manner led personally by Our president in collaboration with AU Heads of Governments to forestall the outbreak of US war against Nigeria,” he stated.
“We need to move swiftly. Our president should put on hold other official engagements to address this existential threats against Nigeria and her people. We need to engage; We need to plead; we need to initiate peace overtures to the US authorities; we need to move very FAST because events are moving very quickly and at Jet speed.
“We need to URGENTLY enlist the support of AU and Commonwealth including other world leaders to plead our case with President Trump. All relevant Government officials must suspend other activities and embark on diplomatic shuttles to prevent the outbreak of US war against Nigeria.
“Nigerians must unite to support our leadership and Governments at all levels as we deploy diplomatic arsenal to confront this challenge. May Almighty God assist Nigeria in getting out of this critical challenge. Our authorities should preach only the language of peace, peace and peace.”
Tinubu to meet Trump over Christian genocide allegation
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu is expected to meet with his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, over the recent claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria.
Disclosing this in a statement on X, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, said the meeting would happen “in the coming days.”
Bwala stressed the commitment of both leaders to combating insurgency and terrorism, saying Trump has supported Nigeria by authorising arms sales, which the President has effectively utilised in the fight against terrorism, yielding significant results.
“President Trump has assisted Nigeria a lot by authorising the sale of arms to Nigeria, and President Tinubu has adequately utilised the opportunity in the fight against terrorism, for which we have massive results to show,” Bwala said.
He explained that differences in perception regarding whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or people of all faiths would be discussed during the meeting, which could be held either at the State House in Abuja or the White House in Washington.
“Both President Bola Tinubu and President Donald Trump have shared interests in the fight against insurgency and all forms of terrorism against humanity,” he said.
“As for the differences as to whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or in fact all faiths and no faiths, the differences, if they exist, would be discussed and resolved by the two leaders when they meet in the coming days, either in the State House or White House.”
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