The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tanimu Turaki, SAN, on Monday issued a dramatic appeal to former U.S. President Donald Trump and the wider international community, warning that Nigeria’s democracy is “under severe threat.” Turaki made the remarks during a tense address at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, where he accused agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating violence and intimidation against opposition leaders.
Speaking to journalists, Turaki declared that what is unfolding “goes beyond the genocide against Nigerian Christians,” insisting that the country’s democratic institutions are being undermined. He linked the worsening insecurity — which has drawn sharp reactions from the U.S. in recent weeks — to what he described as deliberate state-enabled attacks on political dissent.
“What is at stake is not just genocide against Nigerian Christians; Nigeria’s democracy is under threat,” Turaki said. “I am calling on President Donald Trump; I am calling on the international community. Come and save us. Come and save Nigerian democracy.”
His comments followed escalating tensions at the PDP secretariat after reports that a serving minister in the Tinubu administration allegedly mobilised armed thugs, accompanied by policemen, to disrupt activities at the party office. Turaki condemned the incident as an attack on the opposition and vowed that party members were “ready to defend the PDP, defend our mandate, and defend our democracy.”
The PDP is currently engulfed in a leadership crisis, with rival factions holding parallel meetings and struggling for control of the party’s structure. Turaki’s emergence as chairman, backed by his faction, has heightened political friction both within the PDP and across the national political landscape.
The broader backdrop to Turaki’s appeal includes heightened international scrutiny of deadly attacks on Christian communities in parts of Nigeria. Former President Trump recently threatened potential U.S. military action if what he described as “genocide against Christians” continues. However, the Nigerian government has strongly rejected these claims, insisting that the violence is driven by banditry, communal conflict and terrorism — not state-backed religious persecution.
African Union officials and Nigeria’s foreign minister have also dismissed assertions of genocide, arguing that the country’s constitution and federal structure make systemic religious targeting impossible.
Despite these clarifications, Turaki insists that the growing insecurity, coupled with alleged government intimidation of political opponents, represents an existential threat to the nation’s democratic order. He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and called on democratic institutions, civil society groups and international partners to “act before it is too late.”
As the PDP crisis deepens and political tension intensifies nationwide, Turaki’s appeal signals a widening confrontation between the opposition and the federal government, one that could shape the tone of Nigeria’s political landscape as the country heads toward future elections.