The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has called on the United States of America (USA) to assist Nigeria with cutting-edge technologies to combat insecurity rather than issuing threats that could worsen divisions in the country.
Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, made the appeal in a post on his X handle on Sunday evening, reacting to US President Donald Trump’s recent comments and threats against Nigeria over claims of Christian persecution.
“The United States should assist the Nigerian authorities with better cutting-edge technology to tackle these problems, rather than posing a threat that could further polarise our country,” he wrote.
Trump had earlier alleged on his Truth Social account that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria”, claiming that thousands of Christians were being killed by radical Islamists. He further warned that if the Nigerian government failed to act, the United States might withdraw aid and could even consider military intervention.
“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 who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump stated, adding that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for possible action.
In response, Kwankwaso urged a diplomatic approach, stressing that Nigeria’s security challenges cut across religious, ethnic, and political lines.
“It is important to emphasise that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country. The insecurity we face does not distinguish based on religious, ethnic, or political beliefs,” he said.
He further advised the Nigerian government to appoint special envoys and permanent ambassadors to engage with the American government and protect Nigeria’s diplomatic interests.
“To my fellow countrymen, this is an important moment where we should emphasise unity of belonging over division,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has dismissed the genocide allegations, describing them as misleading and unreflective of Nigeria’s reality.
In a statement personally signed by the president, he reaffirmed his government’s commitment to religious freedom and constitutional democracy.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it recognise government efforts to safeguard freedom of religion and belief. Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” Tinubu stated.