Sheikh Gumi tells Tinubu to confront Trump or cut ties
Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has urged Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take immediate and decisive diplomatic action in response to Donald Trump’s recent threat of military intervention in Nigeria. According to multiple Nigerian media reports, Gumi described the U.S. threat as a serious affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty, and he called on the Nigerian government to either demand a public retraction from the U.S. or proceed to sever diplomatic ties.
Gumi, a prominent Islamic cleric, emphasised that Nigeria must not appear weak in the face of threats. He wrote that “for Trump to threaten a sovereign country with military attack is a profound disrespect to our authority,” and insisted that President Tinubu should summon the U.S. ambassador to demand a formal withdrawal of the statements. If the U.S. fails to comply, Gumi suggested, Nigeria should cut off diplomatic relations and explore alternative alliances for economic and military cooperation.
The cleric’s comments come amid escalating tension between the U.S. and Nigeria following Trump’s declaration that the U.S. military might “go into that now disgraced country… guns-a-blazing” if Nigeria failed to halt alleged killings of Christians in the country and his country’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
