The Presidency has said that President Bola Tinubu anticipated and acted ahead of the emerging diplomatic tension with the United States administration of President Donald Trump, following Washington’s renewed focus on Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated on Sunday that President Tinubu’s recent reorganisation of the military hierarchy and his firm directives to newly confirmed service chiefs demonstrated foresight and a commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty against external interference.
Onanuga’s remarks came hours after President Trump suggested possible military consequences for Nigeria, shortly after designating the country as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” — a move that Abuja has since denounced as politically motivated and inaccurate.
In a post on X, Onanuga said Tinubu had “been well ahead of the orchestrated game unfolding in America,” referencing the President’s speech during the decoration of the new service chiefs last Thursday.
“President Bola Tinubu was well ahead of the orchestrated game unfolding in America as he told the new service chiefs on Thursday what Nigerians expect of them. No more excuses, he said. Nigerians want results,” Onanuga wrote.
He emphasised that Tinubu’s charge to the military — urging decisiveness, proactiveness, and the use of technology to counter threats — was evidence of Nigeria’s readiness to prevent both internal insecurity and external threats.
During the ceremony, Tinubu told the service chiefs:
“Security threats are constantly evolving, constantly mutating. Of grave concern to our administration is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South. We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right in the head. Nigerians expect results, not excuses.”
He added that the Federal Government would continue to provide the military with all necessary support to ensure peace and stability.
Onanuga’s statement followed mounting reactions to President Trump’s warning that the U.S. “will act with force if necessary” against nations accused of religious persecution — a remark that has been widely condemned in Nigeria as “unwarranted and intrusive.”
The Nigerian government reiterated that the country guarantees religious freedom and is actively confronting terrorism and banditry without bias to any faith group, while urging Washington to engage diplomatically rather than through threats.
