Turaki begs Trump to save Nigeria’s democracy amid PDP crisis

Turaki’s Plea to Trump: A Cry for Nigeria’s Democratic Survival

In a dramatic turn of events that underscores the depth of Nigeria’s political turbulence, the newly elected National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has made an extraordinary appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump and the wider international community.

Turaki’s plea, delivered during a press conference at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, was not couched in diplomatic subtlety but in urgent, almost desperate tones: “Come and save democracy in Nigeria.” This statement, laden with both symbolism and alarm, reflects the escalating crisis within the PDP and the broader anxieties about Nigeria’s democratic stability.

The crisis stems from violent clashes between rival factions within the PDP, particularly between Turaki’s camp and members allegedly backed by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

According to Turaki, thugs supported by police forces stormed the party’s headquarters, disrupting activities and creating chaos. Parallel meetings organized by competing factions only deepened the disorder, turning the PDP secretariat into a battleground rather than a hub of political organization.

Turaki outlined these events not merely as an internal party squabble but as a direct threat to Nigeria’s democratic order. He went as far as to suggest that what is at stake is not only the future of the PDP but the survival of democracy itself.

What makes Turaki’s appeal particularly striking is his invocation of genocide against Nigerian Christians, a claim that adds a grave moral dimension to his political argument. By linking the PDP crisis to broader existential threats, he sought to elevate the matter beyond partisan politics and into the realm of human rights and global responsibility. His rhetoric was uncompromising: members of his faction, he declared, were willing to “lay down our lives” to protect their mandate. Such language, while dramatic, signals the intensity of the struggle and the desperation of a party that once dominated Nigeria’s political landscape but now finds itself fractured and embattled.

The appeal to Trump and other advanced democracies raises important questions about sovereignty, legitimacy, and the role of international actors in domestic political disputes. On one hand,

Turaki’s call reflects a lack of faith in Nigeria’s institutions to resolve the crisis fairly and peacefully. On the other, it highlights the enduring perception that external powers, particularly the United States, hold moral authority to intervene when democracy appears imperiled.

Whether such intervention is realistic or desirable remains contentious, but the symbolism of turning outward for salvation is telling.

This episode also illustrates the fragility of Nigeria’s opposition politics. The PDP, once the ruling party, has struggled to maintain cohesion in the face of internal rivalries and external pressures.

The spectacle of its chairman appealing to a foreign leader for rescue underscores both the depth of its crisis and the broader challenges facing Nigeria’s democratic experiment. If the PDP cannot resolve its internal conflicts, its ability to serve as a credible opposition, and by extension, to contribute to democratic balance, will be severely undermined.

Ultimately, Turaki’s plea is less about Trump himself than about the desperation of a political movement fighting for survival. It is a cry for legitimacy, for protection, and for recognition that Nigeria’s democracy, though resilient in many respects, remains vulnerable to factionalism, violence, and institutional weakness.

Whether the international community responds or not, the appeal has already succeeded in drawing attention to the precarious state of Nigeria’s democratic journey.