NIGERIAN-AMERICAN 'TINTRUM' ALLIANCE
"Diversity without university is the mother of adversity" -- Utama
Permit me to name the current relationship between the Federal Republic of Nigeria's (FRN's) Tinubu and the United States of America's (USA's) Trump the 'Tintrum (Tinubu-Trump) Alliance'. Also, let's use 'Nigeria', 'Federal Republic of Nigeria' (FRN) and 'Africa' as interchangeably as we use 'United States of America' (USA) and 'America'.
Nigerian-American Convergence
To begin with, it's essential to examine the relationship between Nigeria and America. We, especially the young ones need to know the special relationship between Nigeria and America.
Both Nigeria and America are ideas based in God.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria was established to correct the wrong of the Berlin Conference (indiscriminate division of Africa). The FRN is the Giant of Africa, built to lead and provide peace and progress for the people of Nigeria and the mother continent, Africa, the first and Original World idea, the cradle of human civilisation and wonders.
On the other hand, the USA is the Giant of the American continents, the New World and was purposed to provide peace and progress for the people of America. Call it the Convergence of the Original World and the New World ideas.
Nigeria is fashioned to accommodate the largest number of African nations, 500 plus. On its part, America is moulded to accommodate the largest number of world's nations.
Therefore, both Nigeria and America have identical ideas, peace and progress in diversity. Hence, unity and faith are the awakeners of their ideals, their dreams. Both were born running, matured, came of age.
Both have similar
challenges and solutions. Nigeria started with over 300 nations agreeing to form FRN. This was cemented in the 1950 Ibadan National Conference of correction. As for America, the union started with 13 colonies. Through treaties, conquests, purchases, etc., the USA expanded to consist some 52 states.
Balewa-Kennedy Confluence
The American Revolution had crowned the USA the leader of the free world at a time Nigeria was under colonialism. American Wonder became the eight Wonder. However, Africa was the most unfree world, and America failed Africa. So the unfree world needed a new leader.
Nigeria, being the correction of the vicious and divisive Berlin Conference, was divinely projected and primed for that leadership.
Nigeria's independence in 1960 meant the voice of Africa must be heard in UN.
As noted earlier, at independence, Nigeria had already grown up. Wrote the Daily Times of October 1, 1960 edition: "... ordered government was established and Nigeria grew". Balewa's nutritious and biting UN speech of 7 October 1960 was the most listened to speech of any African leader before then. Both Nkrumah's speech of 23rd September, 1960 and Haile Selasie's speech of 4th October, 1963, though delicious, were barking speeches, strong spirits and tongues, but weak body and teeth. Selasie himself confessed: "...these are only words; their value depends wholly on our will to observe and honour them and give them content and meaning", he told his global audience. Balewa's was a speech of will, while Nkrumah's and Selasie's speeches bordered on wishes.
Balewa, in his first time in the UN, told the world that Nigeria had come to lead the war for the freedom of African people, whether independent or under colonial rule, beginning with Congo. And Nigeria led, with distinction, the UN Peace keeping force in Congo.
The whole world, including America acknowledged the rise of a new global power, Giant of Africa. In Nigeria and America, the confluence of the cradle of human civilisation and the New World lies.
In 1961 Kennedy remarked about Nigeria that, "a great child is born in Africa that can be like America..."
Whereas USA corrects the London monarchical wrong, FRN is a correction of the Berlin divisive wrong. You can call it the American and African Corrections.
Murtala-Ford Dichotomy
Fast forward to the mid-1970s; the Angolan Question became a must-answered one. And an extraordinary Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Summit was summoned for 11 January, 1976. The contenders were the ruling pro-African and Soviet-backed MPLA (Portuguese: Movimento Popular de Libertacao of Angola; English: People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola) and the apartheid South African-backed neo-colonial FNLA/UNITA rebels. The stance of Africa was of essence.
The two revolutions (Nigerian and American) inevitably clashed openly. The battle line to free southern Africa from the Western-backed apartheid South Africa was between the front line states led by Nigeria and the imperialist West-led by America.
On the 3rd of January, 1976, President Gérard Ford of America sent letters to African leaders commanding them to work against Africa's interest, and to work for the interest of the West in the forthcoming AOU summit. Of course, most of African heads of state were puppets of western powers. Ford therefore, felt that he was a school principal dishing out must-obeyed instructions to class monitors.
On that day, January 3, the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Donald Easum, delivered an anti-MPLA and pro-FNLA/UNITA letter addressed to the 38 years old Nigerian military head of state, General Murtala Mohammed. Mohammed literally tore the letter and dump it in its rightful place, the trash bin.
Nigeria was prepared to take on America. In the OAU Summit, Murtala delivered his famous 23-paragrah 'Africa Has Come Of Age' speech. Thundered Murtala: "Africa has come of age. It is no longer under the orbit of any extra continental power. It should no longer take orders from any country, however powerful..."
The speech turned the day of America to night.
Indeed, Nigeria became the nightmare of the West. According to the Jamaican-born pan-Africanist, Patrick F. Wilmot in his book, NIGERIA: THE NIGHTMARE SCENERIO: "In the aftermath of impeccable oration and logic, a largely conservative, pro-western OUA decisively threw its weight behind liberation movements...It was a glorious moment for Nigeria's leadership and diplomacy... Murtala connected with his fellow countrymen and women who rallied to his support. The OAU listened and bowed to the voice of Nigeria. The world at large could not but respect Nigeria's leadership".
Of course, this was the peak of the cold War between the American-led West and Soviet-led East. Africa is the center, with all the four hemispheres. The centre piece of Nigeria's foreign policy is Africa, not West and not East. Nigeria led Africa against the West because the West refused to free Africa.
The truth is that neither the West nor the East cares about Africa. And neither is their war or peace beneficial to Africa. The grasses suffer whether two elephants fight or make love.
The solution therefore, is for Africa to come of age, as a mighty Boabab tree that can hold elephants.
Nigerian-American Divergence
The divergence of the Original and the New Worlds arose when Nigerians failed to unite and be faithful to the Nigerian idea. Nigerians could only poorly attempt to solve the Nigerian Question. As a result, Nigeria which grew at independence in 1960 couldn't come of age in over 20 years of the new millennium.
Man-made problems became the most difficult problem to solve. Extremism graduated to terrorism. Terror and hopelessness replaced peace and progress.
The Nigerian elite, the supposed drivers of the Nigerian dream, constituted itself into an unholy trinity of PRETENDERS, namely, the poisonous philosophers and professionals, the pestilent politicians, and the parasitic prophets and priests. In the heart of this unholy trinity is the slogan: 'Nigeria Last', and its motto is 'Division and Betrayal'.
Clearly, the dominance of unity and faith is the reason America have been more determined and successful in facing squarely, the American Question of a world state; a state where a Kenyan, a German and an Irish would successively be presidents. The Americans dream and live the American dream. As selfish as elitism is, the American elite recognised the inalienability of peace and progress from the people. The absence of peace and progress means the absence of government, of elite.
Therefore, the difference between Nigeria and America is the dissimilarity of their answers to their respective national questions.
Tintrum Alliance
Tintrum represents the current imbroglio between Tinubu of Nigeria and Trump of America. Tintrum is meant to lead the war against terrorism in Nigeria and in Africa.
Concerned about the prevalence of terrorism and banditry (perpetrated by the Boko Harams) that had taken over some parts of Nigeria, and that have defied the Nigerian state, America designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). What this means is that America will not stand by and watch Nigeria being systematically and instalmentally asphyxiated to death.
At the turn of the century, it was said that American intelligence projected the end of Nigeria to take place in 2015. Though, the report was denied, Nigerians know that there is no smoke without fire. America forgot that Nigeria is a divine idea. For the first time in Nigeria's history, an incumbent president conceded defeat and peacefully handed over power to the opposition in same 2015, when Boko Haram was 6 years old.
Today, Boko Haram, with all its attendant anti-Nigeria ideals, is 16 years. Enough must be enough!
But must Trump be the one to solve the Nigerian Question?
In the Murtala-Ford feud, the extremists were the FNLA/UNITA members backed by the West. Secondly, the battle theatre was Angola. In Tintrum Alliance, the extremists are Boko Haram militants and other terrorists and bandits. Secondly, the war theatre is Nigeria, particularly northern Nigeria.
Whereas there was a division of purpose in 1976, there is a clear unity of purpose in 2025. Accordingly, Murtala's and Tinubu's responses reflect the realities on ground. According to Murtala: "It is in consideration of the unedifying role which the United States has played in the African liberation struggle that the Nigerian Federal Military Government took very strong objection to the patronising interest which President Ford suddenly developed in the Angolan situation..." He rightly accused the US of "shedding crocodile tears over Angola".
On his part, Tinubu declared that he and Trump had "constructive and candid discussion" to deliver peace, hope and unity as against conflict, fear and division, to the Nigerian people. Confirming the common purpose of the alliance, Tinubu continues: "We recognise that past frustrations with government performance have been legitimate expressions of public concern. Rather than dismissing these concerns, we have taken them as lessons in accountability and responsibility."
The costs of successful operations are sincere and mutually beneficial cooperations. And military cooperation is a normal international instrument of war. The long war against terrorism in Nigeria demands strong and patriotic cooperation. 16 years long insecurity needs a new approach to tackle. Everyone knows the legendary role that the United States of America plays in disabling terrorists.
But what does America has that Nigeria does not have? Or, how come Nigeria has refused to come of age? As important as the unimaginable strength of Pentagon is, let's face the fact. And the fact is that the power and success of the terrorists is the lack of unity and faith among Nigerians, especially the elite. There can be no peace and progress when the elite are united and faithful to an ideal other than Nigerian ideal. Therefore, more important cooperation in this war against terrorism is
patriotic citizens' cooperation.
President Tinubu, as the Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria's Armed Forces, is charged to lead the battle without delay. He made it clear that: "In the coming days citizens will witness tangible actions and results reflecting a decisive shift beyond unfulfilled promises of the past."
Nigerians must turn Tintrum Alliance to Nigeria's advantage. We must not let this golden opportunity slip by. God forbids! This opportunity must be converted into a patriotic energiser. No excuses. We must all rise up to defend the constitution; in this case, section 14 (2). Peace and Progress are not negotiable. Let's heed the president's clarion call for our patriotic cooperation: "We call on all citizens to continue placing their faith in the motto that defines our republic, 'Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress'."
Perhaps, the only genuine fear is the question of Nigeria's sovereignty. However, there should be no worries about Nigeria's sacred sovereignty.
America, like any other country, knows that Nigeria is a powerful idea. Nigeria is an idea, beyond destruction. It's a divine idea, stronger than the people in the choicest Niger River area. In the words of a former American ambassador to Nigeria, William Stuart Symington: "Nigeria is an idea... The idea of Nigeria is bigger than Nigerians... This is the idea of bringing the world together so that we truly are not just one nation under God and indivisible, but one family under God and indivisible".
Note that because 'One Nigeria' is the Correction of the Berlin Conference wrong (division), the principle of indivisibility becomes essential.
Of course, Tintrum Alliance heartily welcomes other partners (Easterners, Northerners, Southerners and Westerners) in the task of positively relightening the cradle of human enlightenment.
Rootman Ogbor,
Calabar.
13th November, 2025.
Rootman Ogbor is a Nigeria First protagonist.