The Allied People’s Movement has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government of misleading Nigerians by portraying a letter from United States President Donald Trump as an endorsement of its performance in the fight against terrorism.
The party argued that Trump merely acknowledged President Tinubu’s resolve and commitment to tackling insecurity, not any concrete achievement in the fight against terrorism, reports The PUNCH.
APM National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, challenged the presidency to identify any portion of Trump’s letter that commended Tinubu for tangible results in addressing terrorism.
The presidency had yesterday announced that Trump wrote personally to Tinubu to commend his administration’s security efforts.
According to a statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Trump also said the United States had deployed Special Operations Forces, including Navy SEAL Team 6, to train and support the Nigerian military in combating terrorism.
Reacting in a statement released on Thursday, the APM described the Presidency’s interpretation of the letter as an attempt to create a false impression about the country’s security situation.
The party stated, “The Allied People’s Movement condemns the attempt by the Tinubu Presidency to mislead Nigerians by claiming that United States President Donald Trump lauded President Bola Tinubu for his actions in tackling terrorism. We insist that President Trump merely responded to a letter from the Nigerian leader and acknowledged his stated commitment to fighting terrorism.
“It is highly reprehensible that the Tinubu Presidency brazenly distorted the content and context of a letter from the President of the United States in a bid to launder the battered image of the Bola Tinubu administration and create the impression that the American President endorsed an administration that has woefully failed in the fight against terrorism.
“Our careful reading of President Trump’s letter shows that the US leader only commended President Tinubu for his resolve and commitment to tackling terrorism—not for any specific action or achievement against terrorists.”
Quoting from the July 6, 2026 letter, the party said Trump wrote: “Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities…”
The APM challenged the presidency to point to any section of the letter where Trump praised Tinubu for concrete achievements against terrorism.
“The letter speaks of resolve and commitment; it does not celebrate any particular achievement in the war against terrorists,” the party added.
The APM maintained that while Trump acknowledged Tinubu’s resolve, commitment should not be mistaken for performance, insisting that Nigerians were still waiting to see tangible improvements in security.
The party further stated, “Since December 2025, when President Trump called for decisive action against terrorism in Nigeria, President Tinubu has written letters, issued statements, made promises and repeatedly pledged to confront insecurity. Yet, his administration has failed to take decisive action even as terrorists continue to ravage our nation—killing, maiming and kidnapping innocent citizens.
“Our party, therefore, counsels President Tinubu and the APC-led Federal Government to stop hiding behind statements of commitment and start delivering concrete results.
“If President Tinubu wants commendations from President Trump, he should back his commitment to the US President with concrete and decisive action against terrorism.
“The APM finds it unacceptable that the Tinubu Presidency chooses to play politics with the lives of Nigerians and seek international endorsements while the country remains trapped in a worsening security crisis.”
The party urged the presidency to stop politicising insecurity, match its commitments with action and be transparent about the country’s security situation.
“We urge the Tinubu Presidency to stop playing politics with the lives of citizens. It must match commitment with action and be honest with Nigerians and the international community about the worsening security situation in our country under President Tinubu’s watch.
“In any event, the APM wants President Tinubu to know that Nigerians have made up their minds to vote him out in 2027 because of his abysmal failure and cannot be swayed by distortions and deceitful claims,” the statement added.
