❓WHAT HAPPENED: The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria has demanded that President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim, resign if he cannot ensure the safety of Christians amid ongoing jihadist violence.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bola Tinubu, the PDP, Defense Minister Muhammed Badaru, and former presidential candidate Peter Obi, among others.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Nigeria, with recent comments made on Sunday and Monday by PDP officials and critics.
💬KEY QUOTE: “If they feel they are overwhelmed, let them tell us. Normally, we have the international partners who can help.” – PDP spokesman Comrade Ini Ememobong.
🎯IMPACT: The ongoing crisis has led to international concern, particularly from the Trump administration, and criticism of the Nigerian government’s handling of the situation, with calls for better security measures and leadership accountability.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s main opposition, has demanded that President Bola Tinubu resign if his government cannot ensure the safety of Christians amid an unrelenting wave of jihadist violence. Boko Haram, Fulani militants, and other Islamist groups continue to carry out deadly attacks, particularly in the Middle Belt, where Christians and Muslims live side by side. Critics accuse Tinubu, a Muslim, of downplaying the crisis by describing it as general “insecurity” or attributing issues to “climate change.”
PDP spokesman Comrade Ini Ememobong condemned what he described as government inaction, saying: “If they feel they are overwhelmed, let them tell us. Normally, we have the international partners who can help.” He called the administration’s stance “lackluster and unempathetic,” insisting it should resign if it cannot fulfill its responsibility to protect the population.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi echoed these concerns, describing the situation as symptomatic of deeper failures. “Our country is now going through troubling times, not by fate, but by our collective leadership failures that allow insecurity, lawlessness, and institutional decay to thrive,” he said, adding that the government’s “excuses, indifference, or absentee leadership” are worsening the crisis.
Rights groups report staggering casualty figures. The International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law estimates that more than 7,000 Christians were killed in the first seven months of 2025, with thousands more abducted. Churches and Christian communities in rural regions continue to face frequent attacks, prompting warnings from advocates that certain areas risk losing their Christian populations entirely.
International pressure on Nigeria has grown. President Donald J. Trump recently re-designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, stating: “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.” He suggested the U.S. should reconsider aid and consider punitive measures, including sanctions and even military intervention, if the situation does not improve.
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