Nigeria's sovereignty non-negotiable on US military action – Presidential Aide
...as ADC calls for appointment of Ambassadors, foreign policy reset
By Denis Matthew, Abuja
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has affirmed that it would be diplomatically unacceptable for the United States to launch any military operation in Nigeria without the express consent of the Federal Government.
In an interview with the BBC World Service, Bwala stressed that Nigeria is a sovereign nation, and any foreign intervention in its security challenges must be handled collaboratively and with due respect for its territorial integrity.
Bwala's remarks were made in response to recent comments by US President Donald Trump. Last Friday, Trump had designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern (CPC)” over the alleged persecution of Christians and warned that Nigeria must move fast to address insecurity or risk losing all US aid.
He further threatened to deploy America’s department of war against terrorist groups he claims are specifically targeting Christians in the country.
Bwala, however, suggested that Trump’s strong remarks had been largely misunderstood, expressing confidence that the issues would be clarified when President Tinubu and the US leader meet in the coming days.
He firmly dismissed claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, explaining that insecurity affects all citizens regardless of religious belief.
Acknowledging past cooperation, Bwala commended Trump for approving arms sales to Nigeria during his first term, describing the gesture as one made in good faith.
"We are grateful to President Donald Trump because during his first term, he used executive powers to approve arms sales that helped Nigeria fight insurgency,” Bwala stated. “In his second term, he has shown renewed interest in combating Boko Haram, which we welcome, but such efforts must be based on reliable, data-driven assessments not isolated reports or social media content.”
Responding directly to Trump’s suggestion of unilateral military action, Bwala insisted that any such operation would only be acceptable if conducted jointly with the Nigerian government.
He concluded by stressing the diplomatic protocol, “If it is a joint action with Nigeria, that is fine. But diplomatically, it is wrong to invade a sovereign country without collaboration especially one that is your partner in combating insecurity. Such unilateral intervention only occurs when there is intelligence suggesting the government itself is complicit in fueling a crisis. That is certainly not the case in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress has called on President Ahmed Tinubu to immediately appoint new ambassadors and reset the country’s foreign policy.
In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Hon. Bolaji Abdullahi on Monday reads that President Ahmed.Tinubu has failed in terms of ensuring security of lives and properties across regions, religions and ethnicity.
The Party urged President Tinubu to carryout a full overhaul of the national security apparatus, including an independent audit of operations, leadership, and strategy.
"Immediate appointment of qualified ambassadors, to restore Nigeria’s diplomatic presence and strategic influence and a reset of foreign policy, grounded in national interest, not personal promotion, with renewed engagement across ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN."
"Urgent economic reforms, focused on price stability, a credible plan to ease inflation, and a verifiable social welfare system to ease the suffering of the poor across the country. An end to the personalization of public institutions, and a return to accountable, citizen-focused governance." The statement read in part.
The party also urged the American government to support the growth of Nigeria’s democracy rather than deploy military strength noting that it will do more harm than good.
"We appreciate the American president and other world leaders for their concern about the security situation in our country. We will, however, urge that such concerns should be translated into supporting Nigeria to grow her democracy and develop its capacity to solve its own problems. We believe that mobilizing armed troops, or even a mere threat of doing so, would do more harm than good and ultimately prove counterproductive to our democratic aspiration and to the long-term unity and stability of our country." The statement read.