The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Monday said Nigerian leaders should not view the U.S. military invasion threat as an issue for politics; rather, they should speak and stand in defence of the nation.

NNPP founder Boniface Aniebonam said this in a statement on Monday against the backdrop of controversies and different views on the U.S. military invasion threat on Friday over alleged Christian genocide.

Mr Aniebonam noted that in matters affecting Nigeria’s international image and safety, a matter of such magnitude as a military invasion, politicians and opinion leaders must guard their utterances and join in seeking a solution.

“Indeed, the level of insecurity is quite high, but it is not about Christians or Muslims as viewed by the U.S. president.

“Nigeria is doing a lot to fight insecurity, kidnapping, human organ trafficking, killings by agitators in various regions, and most importantly, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has continued to fight the issue, even with the recent change of service chiefs,” said the politician.

He emphasised the need for collaboration and support for the government to overcome insecurity.

“Trump must be aware of the consequences of invading Nigeria and its multiplier effect on the regional and global world economy, life, and property of Nigerians,” Mr Aniebonam added.

The NNPP chieftain stated that he believed Mr Trump’s threat was a wake-up call for Nigerian leaders to be more proactive and decisive in joining hands to stop the menace.

“Insecurity is not insurmountable. Nigeria could have overcome this threat long ago, but the division, politics, and religious differences affected the outcomes of the fight.

“The blame games made those who should assist security agencies sit back and look for reasons to criticise a situation that affects all.

“This is no longer about propaganda or name-calling of President Tinubu or Trump; it should be about lessons learnt from his threat and what we can do together as a people about the welfare and well-being of Nigerians.

“We must all take a stand today to stop the senseless killings nationwide. All of us must help in our little ways,” Mr Aniebonam added.

Mr Trump had threatened to deploy military forces in Nigeria if the alleged genocide against Christians was not stopped in the country.

The U.S. president, in a post on his Truth Social platform, threatened to halt all aid to Nigeria and directed the Department of War to prepare for “possible action” if the killings continued.

(NAN)