Isa Aremu – Tinubu Used Quiet Diplomacy to Prevent Diplomatic Fallout with Trump

By Folarin Adeyemi Aluko

The Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, Kwara State, Isa Aremu, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as a calculated diplomatic approach in managing recent tensions with former United States President Donald Trump over allegations of genocide in parts of Nigeria.

Speaking on Wednesday during the institute’s fifth Ramadan Lecture Series titled “The Role of Muslims in Supporting the Bereaved,” organised by its Muslim community, Aremu said President Tinubu avoided public confrontation and instead deployed strategic diplomacy to prevent a potential diplomatic crisis.

According to him, rather than respond with harsh rhetoric or trade public accusations, the Nigerian leader “kept quiet and worked underneath to dissuade him.”

“President Bola Tinubu used diplomacy to stop Trump from attacking Nigeria over imaginary and unexisting genocide,” Aremu stated. He argued that a more combative response could have escalated tensions and deepened internal divisions within the country.

“If President Tinubu had not deployed diplomacy in that case, perhaps we would have been going after one another; we would by now be killing ourselves,” he added, suggesting that restraint helped prevent further polarisation.

Aremu also pointed to what he described as a shift in tone weeks later, noting that Trump subsequently commended Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, for her welfare initiatives — a development he interpreted as evidence that quiet engagement had yielded results.

Beyond the diplomatic commentary, the labour leader urged Nigerians to remain hopeful despite persistent security challenges in parts of the country. He emphasised the importance of unity, dialogue and responsible leadership in addressing national tensions.

Drawing parallels with global conflicts, Aremu called for diplomacy in resolving the ongoing hostilities involving Iran and the United States, reiterating the popular phrase that it is better to “jaw-jaw than to war-war.” According to him, the human cost of war , particularly the suffering of bereaved families  underscores the need for peaceful engagement over military confrontation.

“The world needs peace,” he said, urging institutions and individuals alike to promote peaceful coexistence.

Meanwhile, the guest lecturer, Professor AbdulRazaq AbduMajeed Alaro, who also serves as an adviser on non-interest banking at the Central Bank of Nigeria**, outlined societal expectations for families of the bereaved. He cautioned against borrowing to finance funeral rites, describing the practice as financially unhealthy and religiously discouraged.

Professor Alaro stressed that it is obligatory for families to settle any outstanding debts incurred by the deceased before proceeding with the distribution of inheritance, noting that financial responsibility remains a moral and legal duty even in times of grief.

The lecture series, which combines faith-based reflection with socio-economic discourse, highlighted themes of compassion, responsibility and peaceful engagement , both at the family level and in matters of statecraft.