Former Mayor of Blanco, Texas, Mike Arnold, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to address the plight of internally displaced Nigerians, saying he would stop criticising the President if his demands were met.
Arnold made the statement in an open letter shared on his verified X account, in which he called on the Federal Government to acknowledge the suffering of displaced families living in camps across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to the former mayor, an estimated 40,000 or more displaced Nigerians are living in at least eight camps within the FCT. He urged Tinubu to recognise their situation and take immediate steps to improve their living conditions.
Arnold called on the President to provide displaced families with essential necessities, including food, clothing, shelter, sanitation, medical care and access to education for their children.
He also urged the Federal Government to seek assistance from international humanitarian organisations to support relief efforts and address the needs of affected communities.
Beyond immediate humanitarian assistance, Arnold called on the Tinubu administration to intensify efforts to eliminate Boko Haram and other armed terrorist groups operating in the ancestral communities of displaced Nigerians.
He said restoring security to those communities was necessary to enable affected families to return to their homes and rebuild their lives in safety.
In the letter, Arnold insisted that his demands were not motivated by personal interests or the pursuit of government appointments, contracts or financial benefits.
He said he was not seeking a diplomatic appointment, government position, favour or payment in exchange for ending his criticism of the President.
Arnold also referenced what he described as a $9m United States lobbying contract associated with efforts to counter criticism of the Tinubu administration. He claimed that being targeted by the campaign had strengthened his resolve to continue speaking out.
He maintained that his decision to stop criticising Tinubu would depend on the government taking concrete steps to address the plight of displaced families and provide them with the assistance they need.
Arnold concluded by urging the President to prioritise humanitarian concerns, stressing that his demands centred on protecting vulnerable Nigerians rather than securing personal benefits.
His intervention has drawn attention to the challenges facing displaced communities in the FCT, particularly the need for adequate shelter, healthcare, education, food security and lasting solutions that would allow affected families to return to their ancestral homes.
The claims about the number of displaced people and the alleged lobbying contract were presented in Arnold’s letter as reported by Naija News and have not been independently verified in this account.
