A frmer presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent statement declaring that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria.
The publisher of SaharaReporters, said Nigeria’s salvation would not come from foreign powers but from responsible and visionary leadership within the country.
Trump had earlier claimed on his Truth Social platform that “radical Islamists” were behind widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria. He vowed to classify the country as a “Country of Particular Concern,” insisting that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening.”
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern.’ My administration will stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world,” Trump wrote.
Reacting in a post on his X handle on Saturday, Sowore, a human rights activist as well, described Trump’s remarks as “misguided” and warned against simplifying Nigeria’s security crisis into a religious conflict.
He argued that Nigeria’s insecurity stems from decades of corruption, bad governance, and a failure of leadership rather than a targeted war against a particular faith.
“The crisis in Nigeria is not about religion; it’s about reckless governance and the collapse of state institutions. Trump and others should understand that what Nigeria needs is justice, accountability, and leadership — not another foreign saviour,” Sowore stated.
He further urged Nigerians to reject divisive narratives and focus on rebuilding national unity through equity and good governance.
