Nigeria’s democracy not under threat, Wike replies PDP chairman

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, punched calls by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Turaki, SAN, on the US President Donald Trump to intervene in Nigeria.

He insisted that Nigeria’s democracy was not under threat.

Wike spoke during a courtesy visit by the board members of the South-South Development Commission, led by their Chairman, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, to his office.

Recall that on Tuesday, Turaki urged President Trump and other advanced democracies to intervene and “save Nigeria’s democracy,” following the showdown between rival factions of the PDP at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

While addressing newsmen, Turaki said, “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.”

But Wike in his response, said Turaki’s statement amounted to a threat to national security, noting that the faction had refused to obey court judgments, which he described as an act of impunity.

The FCT Minister added that Turaki could not blame the administration of President Bola Tinubu for PDP’s internal crisis, insisting that the country’s democracy was stable.

Wike said, “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.

“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.

“Who does that? You are calling on Trump to come and save your democracy. 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.”

Hevalso noted that Turaki’s comments amounted to alleging an ongoing genocide in Nigeria, saying security agencies should have invited him for clarification.

He added, “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. Kindly give us so that we will know what to do.’ You don’t want to say anything. But if it is Wike— kill him!”