The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has described United States President Donald Trump’s recent letter to the Nigerian leader as evidence of the progress recorded by the Tinubu administration in its fight against terrorism, rather than a search for external validation.
Mr Trump, in the letter dated 6 July, commended Mr Tinubu for his “decisive leadership” in tackling insecurity in Nigeria, particularly attacks on Christian communities, and pledged continued American support for the country’s counterterrorism efforts.
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The letter, released by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, was a response to an earlier letter from Mr Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview on Channels TV Politics Today, Mr Bwala said the correspondence reflected a deepening security partnership between Nigeria and the United States, which he said had produced concrete results, including the killing of a senior ISIS commander in a joint operation.
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“We share intelligence, we have local training, and then we conduct air strikes,” Mr Bwala said, describing the collaboration between both countries as having reached a “deeper and commendable level.”
He said Nigeria’s commitment to fighting terrorism was self-driven rather than dependent on external commendation.
Using a relationship analogy, Mr Bwala said a letter of encouragement could strengthen a partnership, but does not create the foundation of a country’s commitment to its own security.
He added that both Messrs Tinubu and Trump shared a common interest in combating terrorism generally, noting that any differing perceptions on whether terrorist attacks were targeted at specific faiths or affected all religions would be addressed directly when both leaders meet.
Mr Bwala disclosed that a senior United States government official recently visited Nigeria, which he said further demonstrated the progress made in the bilateral relationship. He said the letter reflected gains recorded not only with the U.S. but with the international community more broadly, citing improvements in Borno State as an example of progress Nigerians were reacting positively to.
Nigeria and the US under Mr Trump have improved their relationship after the American president initially accused Nigeria of allowing genocide against Christians and declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
The American leader has since reduced his rhetoric on Nigeria since the two countries started sharing information and established a military partnership.
Bwala attacks opposition
Mr Bwala used the interview to launch a broadside against the opposition, describing critics of the letter as “jobless thinkers” whose objections were driven by electoral considerations rather than substantive concerns.
READ ALSO: Trump lauds President Tinubu’s decisive leadership against terrorists
“Why is this issue always coming up around election season? People don’t want to focus on what matters; they just bring this joblessness,” he said.
He argued that opposition figures had failed to engage Nigerians constructively and would have communicated differently if they respected the public.
Turning specifically to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Mr Bwala questioned why allegations against the government were repeatedly raised close to elections, describing such claims as “baseless” and “frivolous,” and accusing the opposition of attempting to deceive Nigerians already concerned about the state of the country.
He challenged the opposition to proffer better alternatives instead of dismissing congressional findings on Nigeria’s security situation.
Mr Bwala also criticised sections of the Nigerian media, accusing them of hypocrisy in their coverage of the administration’s security achievements.
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