Former Kano State governor and 2023 NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has called on the United States to assist Nigeria with advanced security technology rather than issue threats that could deepen divisions in the country.
Reacting to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks designating Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” Kwankwaso said the focus should be on constructive partnership, not intimidation.
“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 posted on X Sunday evening.
Trump had on Friday alleged that Christianity in Nigeria was “facing an existential threat,” accusing “radical Islamists” of committing mass killings of Christians. He later warned that Washington could deploy troops to Nigeria if the government failed to act.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. 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 wrote on Truth Social, adding that he had instructed the Department of War to prepare for “possible action.”
Kwankwaso cautioned against such rhetoric, stressing that Nigeria’s insecurity affects all groups regardless of religion, ethnicity, or politics.
“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 urged the Nigerian government to respond diplomatically by engaging Washington through permanent ambassadors and special envoys who would protect Nigeria’s image and interests abroad.
“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 Trump’s allegations of a Christian genocide.
In a statement personally signed by Tinubu, the president reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom and democratic governance.
“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 said.
