President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has told opposition figure Peter Obi that the government will not forgive him for remarks interpreted as welcoming possible United States military action in Nigeria.

Onanuga made the comments in a quoted X post, referring to a video in which Obi is heard welcoming Trump’s invasion threat.

“If Donald Trump said he will invade Nigeria, I will welcome it with open arms because security is my priority.”

Onanuga accused the former Labour Party candidate of showing disregard for national sovereignty.

The footage resurfaced following a 1 November 2025 post by US president Donald Trump on Truth Social, in which he directed the Pentagon to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria over what he described as Christian genocide.

Trump cited attacks attributed to Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province and armed herder groups, and said the United States will not allow the violence to continue.

However Nigeria had rejected Trump’s claims.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa said attacks in Nigeria affect citizens of all faiths and are not condoned by the state.

Tinubu, speaking during a defence briefing in Abuja, pointed to the appointment of a Christian as chief of defence staff and said his administration was maintaining contact with religious leaders to reinforce inter-faith stability.

Presidential adviser Daniel Bwala said Nigeria would accept assistance from the United States only in a form that respects the country’s territorial integrity.

The recorded video was made on 23 November. Obi said security would be his number one priority if in office and interpreted the US position as an opportunity for cooperation against armed groups rather than an endorsement of foreign intervention.

The Guardian reported On 4 November, that Obi issued a statement urging Abuja and Washington to maintain constructive diplomatic engagement.

He criticised the government’s handling of insecurity, citing figures from international rights organisations estimating that more than 10,000 people have been killed since May 2023.

He said Nigeria was experiencing an unprecedented level of insecurity and called for cooperation among political actors.

Recently in Kwara, armed men killed multiple residents in an assault, while schools in parts of the north remain closed due to persistent banditry. Local education officials warn that millions of children remain out of school as a result.

Relations between Abuja and Washington have also been strained by the US designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for religious-freedom violations.

Tinubu’s administration last week sent a delegation to Washington for consultations aimed at easing tensions.