By Obinna Uballa
The Presidency has accused former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi of supporting foreign intervention in Nigeria, vowing that such a stance “will never be forgiven.”
The allegation came from Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, in reaction to a video of Obi stating that, if elected president, he would welcome assistance from the United States to tackle terrorism in Nigeria.
In the video, Obi said the debate should focus on insecurity, rather than allegations of Christian genocide, and emphasised that Nigeria should accept international support to combat terrorism. “Somebody offered you something you have been looking for. It is not time to start debating. Today, if you declare me president, my priority will be the security of life and property,” Obi said. “Number two priority is to pull people out of poverty, because the more you pull people out of poverty, the more you reduce criminality.”
Responding, Onanuga tweeted: “We shall never forget and forgive Peter Obi for supporting a foreign invasion of Nigeria.”
In a related development, the United States has expressed strong willingness to deepen its security cooperation with Nigeria following high-level engagements in Washington, D.C., with a Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The week-long meetings involved senior officials from the US Congress, the White House Faith Office, the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Department of Defense.
The delegation clarified that recent claims of genocide in Nigeria were misleading, highlighting that violent attacks affect citizens across all religious and ethnic groups. Nigerian officials argued that misrepresenting the situation could undermine national cohesion and hamper counterterrorism efforts.
Following the discussions, the US reaffirmed its readiness to broaden support to Nigeria, including enhanced intelligence sharing, faster processing of defence equipment requests, and provision of excess US defence articles where available. Washington also signalled interest in offering humanitarian aid to conflict-affected communities in the Middle Belt and technical assistance to strengthen early-warning systems to prevent or mitigate attacks.
To operationalise the cooperation, both countries agreed to implement a non-binding framework and establish a Joint Working Group to oversee progress on key initiatives.
The Nigerian delegation reaffirmed its commitment to civilian protection and adherence to international humanitarian standards during military operations. The team included Attorney General Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Intelligence Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Parker Undiandeye, NSA Special Adviser Idayat Hassan, and Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, Director of Foreign Relations at the NSA’s office.
The Presidency, acknowledging heightened public concern about security and religious issues, assured Nigerians that urgent steps are being taken to safeguard lives and stabilise affected regions.
