Sheikh Gumi has urged Tinubu to confront Trump over military threat and called for diplomatic retaliation.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to take a strong diplomatic stance against former U.S. President Donald Trump following his recent threat of military action against Nigeria.
In a statement shared via his verified Facebook page on Sunday, Gumi condemned Trump’s remarks as a “profound disrespect” to Nigeria’s sovereignty, stressing that the Federal Government must not treat the issue lightly.
“For Trump to threaten a sovereign country with military attack is a profound disrespect to our authority, but we can rise above it,” he wrote.
The cleric’s comments come amid rising diplomatic tension after Trump announced Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), accusing the Tinubu administration of allegedly turning a blind eye to the killing of Christians in the country.
Gumi advised President Tinubu to summon the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and demand an official retraction of Trump’s statement, warning that silence could be interpreted as weakness.
“President Tinubu should summon the U.S. ambassador; they either retract their threats or we sever diplomatic ties with this irresponsible regime,” Gumi declared.
He warned that failure to respond decisively could embolden further foreign interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
Furthermore, Gumi urged the government to diversify Nigeria’s global alliances, emphasizing that the country has alternative partners for economic and military cooperation.
“There are lots of other options for our economic expansion and military alliance,” he added.
Trump’s controversial post on Truth Social had sparked outrage across Nigeria and the international community after he threatened to cut U.S. aid and consider military action if the Nigerian government failed to address alleged religious persecution.