Tinubu’s Clash with Trump Self-Inflicted, Says Cleric, Cites Economic Reforms and Systemic Failures”

President Donald Trump’s invasion language against Nigeria, according to Amidu Sanni, is “the misadventure of a reckless outburst,” but Nigerian leader Bola Tinubu allegedly courted the conflict.

This was stated in an interview conducted in Lagos on Sunday by Mr. Sanni, the former chief imam of Lagos State University. But the cleric also said that if the government moved quickly, the looming invasion could be avoided.

Nigeria was been reclassified as a “country of particular concern” by the Trump administration. Mr. Sanni pointed out that it was ironic to suddenly become an activist for human rights while disregarding the atrocities in Sudan or Gaza.

The cleric noted that the Nigerian government’s “enjoyed” or “suffered” sleepless nights are self-inflicted and the result of systemic failure.

Poor international relations and a disorganized security architecture are among the problems, he claims.

They also include mischievous or ignorant interpretations by local and foreign non-state players, he continued, as well as inadequate media participation by state actors both domestically and globally. He continued by saying that people of all faiths had died as a result of the widespread, mindless killings that have plagued Nigeria over the years, particularly after the Boko Haram attack in 2000.

Since the country’s restoration to democracy in 1999, Mr. Sanni has blamed the systemic shortcomings of successive civilian administrations for their failure to solve security, political, and economic issues, which he claimed were the cause of the killings nationwide.

He pointed out that the inability of both state and non-state actors to address security issues has encouraged banditry, kidnapping, illicit mining, the misappropriation of security funding, and the impunity of criminals.

“Given the economic reforms being pushed by the Nigerian government in the oil and financial sectors, it is reasonable to see Trump becoming more Catholic than the Pope or more Anglican/Protestant than the Archbishop of Canterbury,” he stated.

“These reforms are dislodging the American and Western stranglehold on our economy and denying free petro-dollars and unearned foreign exchange to the round-tripping bourgeoisie who had previously enjoyed free funds and influence,” the cleric continued.

Trump’s declared threat of conflict is purely political and economic. Regretfully, it appears that some of our religious opinion leaders support Trump’s suicidal and less-than-selfless military or missionary misadventure. Many people are unaware that the focus of war is not on who is right but rather on who survives the brutal battles.

He also criticized the government’s diplomatic shortcomings, pointing out that nearly three years into the present administration, Nigeria has not yet appointed significant ambassadors to important international capitals.

He declared, “It is unacceptable that the president has not fully utilized international platforms like the UN General Assembly and the G20 to tell Nigeria’s true story and rebrand our economic and political profiles.”

However, Mr. Sanni criticized the government’s media approach, pointing out that the administration has not formalized regular presidential parleys with domestic and foreign media, which he claimed has exacerbated false information about the nation.

He called on the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Christian Association of Nigeria to work together to demonstrate to the world that the nation’s Muslims and Christians are unified in their opposition to any human rights abuses.