The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised calls by the factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Turaki, SAN, urging United States President Donald Trump to intervene in Nigeria’s political affairs. Wike insisted that Nigeria’s democracy remains stable and not under any form of threat.
He made this known on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by the board members of the South-South Development Commission, led by Chairman Chibudom Nwuche, to his office.
The PUNCH reported that Turaki had on Tuesday appealed to President Trump and other advanced democracies to step in and “save Nigeria’s democracy,” following clashes between rival PDP factions at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Addressing journalists, Turaki said, “I want to call on President Trump. What is at stake is not just a genocide against Nigerian Christians.
“He should come and save democracy in Nigeria. Democracy is under threat. I am calling on all other developed nations, all advanced democracies. Come and save Nigeria, come and save democracy.”
Reacting, Wike described Turaki’s remarks as a threat to national security, saying his faction had refused to comply with court judgments, which he labelled an act of impunity.
He added that the PDP’s internal crisis could not be blamed on President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Look at a threat to national security. You are calling on Trump to come and save your democracy when you cannot obey a simple court judgment. Simple court judgment: don’t do this until you have done this.
“Now you are turning it around against a government. What is their business? You cannot keep your house in order; you are blaming an outsider for not keeping your house in order.
“Who does that? You are calling on Trump to come and save your democracy. Our democracy is not under threat. People went to court to challenge what you are doing. Then you think, as usual, impunity—let’s do it. We can’t continue that way,” he said.
Wike further noted that Turaki’s comments amounted to alleging an ongoing genocide in the country, questioning why security agencies had not invited him for clarification.
“You come out and make a statement on national television to say, look, it is not only killing — genocide against Christians.
“In essence, you have come out to tell the world that what this government is doing is carrying out genocide against Christians. And where are the security agencies?
“For somebody to make such a statement, you won’t invite them to come and say, ‘Maybe you know better; you have facts. Kindly give us so that we will know what to do.’ You don’t want to say anything. But if it is Wike— kill him!” Wike said.
