By Adekoya Samson,Abuja.
Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has defended the recent remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump on Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, saying the comments mirror the harsh reality of the country’s situation.
Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly, Abuja, Kalu said Trump’s warning about religiously motivated killings should not be dismissed, as both Christians and Muslims have continued to suffer attacks from extremist groups across different regions.
“Let’s be honest — what Donald Trump said is not a lie. Nigerians are being killed, whether they are Christians or Muslims,” Kalu stated. “If they attack in Plateau, the victims are mostly Christians; in Zamfara, they are Muslims. These people are jihadists. They want to destroy Nigeria, and we must call them by their name without pity.”
Kalu revealed that he had personally engaged two former U.S. presidents and over 60 members of the U.S. Congress, who, according to him, expressed readiness to support Nigeria’s anti-terrorism efforts.
“Before Trump spoke, I believe U.S. intelligence had already verified the facts. You can see the Nigerian Air Force intensifying operations lately — possibly based on intelligence shared by the U.S.,” he added.
Identifying himself as pro-America, Kalu urged Nigerian authorities to strengthen diplomatic and intelligence ties with Washington while calling on citizens and the media to expose extremist elements in their communities.
He, however, blamed Western intervention in Libya and Iraq for fueling the spread of arms and insurgency across Africa. “Let’s also be honest — America partly created this problem. After killing Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, arms flooded Africa. But as the leader of the free world, the U.S. still has a role to play in restoring order,” he said.
On domestic politics, Kalu expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying Nigeria’s security and economic challenges will soon ease. He dismissed speculation of attempts to remove the Senate President, stressing that the Senate remains united and focused on supporting the government’s reform agenda.
“At the beginning, there were stories about moves to remove the Senate President, but as you can see, everything is calm. The Senate is focused on making laws that will help President Tinubu tackle economic challenges,” he said.
Commenting on the wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kalu clarified that no one was being coerced. “Not by me, not by any senator, and not by the Senate President or the President. I work 100% for the APC and will campaign for every APC candidate,” he affirmed.
Kalu also hinted that Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo could join the APC, describing him as a “progressive” leader.
“Soludo is a progressive like President Tinubu, like me, like the Senate President. He has no alternative but to join us in the APC,” he predicted.
Looking ahead to 2027, Kalu declared that President Tinubu remains Nigeria’s most formidable political figure.
“The 2027 election will be Tinubu versus Tinubu — there’s no cohesive opposition,” he said confidently.
While acknowledging the current economic hardship, Kalu urged patience, saying reforms were beginning to yield positive macroeconomic signs. “The real challenge is getting relief to the masses,” he concluded.
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