The Presidency has sharply criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi over a resurfaced video in which he appeared to welcome the idea of United States military involvement in Nigeria, a remark government officials say undermines national sovereignty.
Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, issued the reprimand in a quoted post on X, responding to a clip in which Obi is heard saying he would “welcome” a US invasion if it helped address the country’s worsening security crisis.
“If Donald Trump said he will invade Nigeria, I will welcome it with open arms because security is my priority,” Obi was quoted as saying in the video recorded on 23 November.
Onanuga condemned the comment, accusing Obi of trivialising Nigeria’s independence and aligning himself with external threats at a time of heightened tensions between Abuja and Washington. His reaction followed renewed debate triggered by a 1 November 2025 post by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social, where Trump instructed the Pentagon to prepare for potential military intervention in Nigeria over what he described as “Christian genocide.”
Trump cited attacks by Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, and armed herder groups, declaring that the United States “will not allow the violence to continue.”
Nigeria swiftly rejected the claim. Foreign Ministry spokesman Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa stressed that violence in the country affects citizens across religious lines and warned against narratives that misrepresent the crisis.
President Tinubu, speaking during a defence briefing in Abuja, emphasised his administration’s commitment to religious stability, noting the appointment of a Christian as chief of defence staff and continued engagement with leaders of various faiths.
Presidential adviser Daniel Bwala added that while Nigeria remains open to international assistance, such support must fully respect its territorial integrity.
Obi has since clarified his stance, saying his comments reflected a desire for enhanced security cooperation, not foreign intervention. He maintained that insecurity would be his top priority in office and urged both countries to pursue constructive diplomacy. On 4 November, he issued a statement, calling on Abuja and Washington to maintain dialogue.
He also criticised the government’s handling of security challenges, citing international rights groups that estimate more than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed since May 2023. Recent attacks in Kwara State, along with widespread school closures in northern regions due to banditry, continue to highlight the scale of the crisis.
Relations between Nigeria and the United States have been further strained by Washington’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious-freedom issues. In response, Tinubu’s administration dispatched a delegation to Washington last week in an effort to ease diplomatic tensions.
