THE governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has called for renewed diplomatic dialogue between Nigeria and the United States as tensions rise following U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed threats of military action in Nigeria.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke called for constructive engagement between both nations, stressing the importance of their long-standing partnership.
“I appeal to the Presidency of the United States to support Nigeria in implementing its new national security strategy,” he said, noting that the framework was designed to comprehensively tackle banditry and terrorism across the country.
Adeleke sympathised with families affected by violence in northern Nigeria and urged the U.S. to assist Nigeria’s fight against terrorism through cooperation, not confrontation.
He described Trump’s remarks as a wake-up call for Nigeria to strengthen its counterterrorism efforts in collaboration with global allies.
The governor also commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its diplomatic approach to defusing tensions with Washington and addressing legitimate Western concerns.
“Peaceful dialogue between Abuja and Washington holds the key, not military intervention,” Adeleke said. “We need peace, not war, to deepen democracy and protect our people.”
Meanwhile, President Trump on Sunday reiterated his warning that the United States could carry out ground and air strikes in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians.
When asked by reporters aboard Air Force One if he was considering direct military involvement, Trump said, “Could be, I envisage a lot of things.”
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he claimed Christianity was facing “an existential threat” in Nigeria and instructed the Pentagon to prepare a possible attack plan, warning that any U.S. response would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”
Reacting to the comments, presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala told AFP that Nigeria remains a key U.S. ally in the global fight against terrorism.
“Nigeria welcomes U.S. support to combat terrorism, as long as it respects our territorial integrity,” he said, adding that Trump’s comments might be aimed at prompting a high-level meeting between both leaders.
Bwala hinted that Presidents Tinubu and Trump could meet soon to discuss shared security concerns and clear up misconceptions about religious violence in Nigeria.
Tinubu has previously dismissed claims that Christians are being specifically targeted, saying such assertions misrepresent Nigeria’s religious reality.
“The portrayal of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant nation does not reflect our national character,” Tinubu stated.