By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Two constitutional lawyers have cautioned the Federal Government to tread carefully in responding to recent remarks and policy postures by the United States of America, describing them as destabilizing and self-serving.
They urged Nigeria to remain vigilant against external manipulation while prioritizing diplomatic engagement over confrontation.
Speaking separately on Sunday in Calabar, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, a former presidential aide and constitutional lawyer, accused the U.S. of deploying what he called “dubious diplomacy backed by arrogant militarism” aimed at inflaming divisions in Nigeria under the guise of protecting Christians.
He dismissed the “Christian genocide” narrative being promoted by Washington as illogical, misleading, and intended to destabilize the country.
According to him, any U.S. threat to intervene militarily or violate Nigeria’s sovereignty under whatever pretext amounts to a grave affront to international law.
“Nigeria has never posed a threat to world peace. If America, which regularly experiences gun attacks in its own churches, has not invited foreign armies to intervene, then it should allow Nigeria to manage her internal challenges,” Obono-Obla said.
He alleged that the U.S. has a long history of sabotaging sovereign nations through misinformation and proxy wars, citing Iraq, Libya, Serbia, and Ukraine as examples where Washington’s interventions left behind chaos and unending conflict.
“Whenever a nation challenges America’s arrogance, it becomes a target for regime change,” he said, warning that Nigeria must not fall for what he described as “cowboy diplomacy” designed to fracture the country’s stability.
“When the inferno erupts, we will be left abandoned, just like every nation America has ‘helped,’” he cautioned. “True sovereignty demands vigilance and unity.”
In a similar tone, Barrister Leonard Anyogo, Notary Public and chairman of Good Governance Advocacy International, advised that Nigeria’s response to the U.S. should be measured and strategic.
“Nigeria must be engaging and not combative against Trump,” he said. “We should propose a security synergy.”
Anyogo noted that integrity-driven organizations like his could help project Nigeria’s true narrative on the global stage.
Both lawyers agreed that Nigeria’s best defence against foreign pressure lies in internal reforms, national unity, and proactive diplomacy. They called on the Federal Government to strengthen governance, uphold justice, and pursue international partnerships based on mutual respect rather than subservience.