By Deborah Nnamdi
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has called on the United States of America to assist Nigeria with advanced technology to tackle insecurity, rather than issuing threats that could further divide the nation.
Kwankwaso appealed in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, reacting to recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over alleged killings of Christians.
Trump, in a statement on his Truth Social platform last Friday, claimed that Christianity faces an existential threat in Nigeria, accusing “radical Islamists” of being responsible for what he described as a “mass slaughter.” He later warned that the U.S. could withdraw aid and even deploy troops to Nigeria if the Nigerian government failed to stop the attacks.
“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 said.
Reacting, Kwankwaso cautioned against foreign interference, noting that insecurity in Nigeria affects all groups regardless of religion or ethnicity. He urged the U.S. to provide technological and intelligence support instead of military threats.
“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.
The former Kano State governor also advised the Nigerian government to adopt a diplomatic approach by engaging directly with Washington.
“The Nigerian government should consider appointing special envoys from its distinguished diplomats to engage the American government. Additionally, it is necessary to appoint permanent ambassadors to represent Nigeria’s interests on the international stage,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Tinubu administration has dismissed Trump’s genocide claim, insisting that Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom.
In a statement, President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed his government’s respect for all faiths and rejected any characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant.
“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,” the statement read.
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.”
