Interview With Asiwaju Moshood Shittu, Conducted by Taofik Adekunle Jimoh (JAAT), Editor, News Bulletin Nigeria. Read the excerpts
Q: You haven’t reacted to the recent words of President Donald Trump about invading Nigeria. What’s your take on that?
AMS: What I said about Congo also applies here. The government of Congo said they needed serious international intervention because of the persistent insecurity in their country. Similarly, Nigeria is experiencing terrorism and insecurity everywhere, and we really need technical support.
Congo used logical language when it said, “If America is coming, we need their technical support to help us fight insecurity.” That’s not on religious grounds—it’s purely about security, and it’s true. Terrorists are taking over parts of Nigeria, and the situation is worsening.
So, if you read what President Trump said carefully, you’ll see that we need support, but not on a religious basis. The Nigerian government should have meaningful discussions with the United States on addressing insecurity, rather than dismissing it.
President Tinubu was caught unprepared by Trump’s words, which explains his initial reaction. I believe people have since advised him to respond diplomatically.
Q: What about the statement made by Pastor E. A. Adeboye?
AMS: Yes, Pastor Adeboye said that the President should order the service chiefs to defeat terrorists within 90 days. He said President Tinubu should tell Donald Trump that he would eliminate them within 100 days, or else the service chiefs should resign.
We’re all saying the same thing—insecurity is escalating, and the government must take proactive measures. That’s why the United States and other international organisations are showing interest.
We shouldn’t take the government for granted because the international community is always watching. Every government must remember that international organisations observe governance globally.
Q: There are reports that Donald Trump has expressed support for former President Goodluck Jonathan to recontest. How do you interpret that?
AMS: Yes, Donald Trump did say he supports Goodluck Jonathan’s return to contest. Interestingly, that same month, Jonathan was charged to court. They claimed that since he completed another person’s tenure, he wasn’t eligible to contest.
But Buhari cleared him in 2015—if Jonathan had won then, would they have asked him to return the victory? Trump’s expression of support was quickly followed by political attacks against Jonathan.
International organisations are watching how Nigeria handles democracy. You cannot destroy opposition parties and expect democracy to thrive. The government has reportedly instructed some leaders, like Wike, to weaken the PDP and dissolve other opposition parties to create a one-party system.
That’s not how democracy works. Why register multiple parties if the goal is to suppress them all? Those who allow democracy to thrive in other nations are not fools—they know the world is watching. You cannot paralyse political pluralism and still claim democratic legitimacy. That strategy simply doesn’t work.
Q: There’s also an allegation that lawmakers are being financially induced to decamp to the ruling party. What’s your reaction to that?
AMS: There’s no lie in those allegations. I recently had a conversation with an influential person. He told me he had been trying for three months to see the President. According to him, he was asked to pay some money just to secure an audience with the President.
That’s how commercialised access to leadership has become. I didn’t believe it until I saw it reported in the papers this week. This is the kind of system international organisations are reporting about—one that is collapsing internally.
Before Nigeria completely collapses, there must be intervention. The international community might soon use any convenient reason, such as “Christian genocide”, to justify stepping in to rescue the country because the reports they receive are alarming.
Q: How then can Nigeria survive as a nation under such circumstances?
AMS: That’s the biggest question. For the past two months, I’ve been reflecting deeply on Nigeria’s situation, and honestly, the future doesn’t look guaranteed.
We cannot continue like this. Unless we take drastic corrective action, the survival of Nigeria as a stable and democratic country will remain uncertain.
