The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has sharply criticised the call by factional PDP Chairman Umar Turaki, SAN, for US President Donald Trump to intervene in Nigeria, insisting that the nation’s democracy is stable and not under threat.
Wike made the remarks on Wednesday, November 19, during a courtesy visit by the board members of the South-South Development Commission, led by Chairman Chibudom Nwuche, at his Abuja office.
Turaki had on Tuesday urged Trump and other Western democracies to “save Nigeria’s democracy,” following clashes between rival factions of the PDP at the party’s national secretariat.
He told journalists, “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.”
Responding, Wike dismissed the call as an attack on national security and accused Turaki’s faction of defying court orders.
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“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,” Wike said.
He added, “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.
“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.”
Wike also condemned Turaki’s claim of a genocide, insisting that security agencies should have sought 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.’ You don’t want to say anything. But if it is Wike — kill him!” he said.