Veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Reuben Abati, has blamed the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the recent military threat against Nigeria by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Abati suggested that the current situation was a direct consequence of the APC’s governance failures and called on the ruling party to take responsibility for resolving the crisis.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, Abati dismissed claims that the U.S. was targeting Nigeria for its natural resources, insisting that such arguments were unfounded.
DAILY POST reported that Trump recently designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, citing what he described as ongoing violence against Christians and the government’s failure to protect religious minorities.
However, the Nigerian government has strongly denied any persecution of religious groups in the country.
Just on Saturday, Trump went further to threaten possible military action against Nigeria if the situation was not addressed promptly.
Abati urged President Bola Tinubu to seek advice from elder statesmen and experienced diplomats in managing the crisis, stressing the need for seasoned hands in government decision-making.
He said: “I don’t subscribe to the argument that America is coming for our oil. They are not. They are even supplying crude oil to the Dangote Refinery. They are not buying our gas from Nigeria LNG; they are getting their gas from elsewhere. But there is a complexity, there are contradictions that we need to address.
Some people say, ‘Oh, they are coming for our resources, as they did in Libya, Syria, and other parts of the world.’ No, we should not demarket our country, but we should support the government. President Tinubu should seek help. There are people in this country, I don’t even know whether the Presidential Council on International Relations has been constituted. If it has not been constituted, now is the time. We have people who have experience. We need adults in the room, not the small people around who think they know everything. We need adults in the room.
Tinubu should call for help from Obasanjo, from Anyaoku, TY Danjuma, Babangida, from all those people. This is the mess that the APC has created, and they should correct it by acting simply.”
