Former political adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has warned that Nigeria is not insulated from the global implications of the escalating tensions involving Iran.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview on Trust TV, where he reacted to reports of airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran.
According to earlier reports, the strikes reportedly resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several senior political and military officials.
Expressing concern over the development, Baba-Ahmed said Nigeria must not assume it is safe from the ripple effects of the crisis.
“Nigeria too is in trouble. We are not safe with what is going on in Iran,” he said.
“The world is by now aware of the fact that two days ago, the United States of America and Israel attacked the State of Iran, killed its leader and a number of very senior political and military officers, as well as a number of other citizens.
“Clearly, the United States had decided to effect regime change, meaning removal of the entire leadership of Iran and maybe installing a different one, or giving a chance to the citizens of Iran to choose who will next govern them.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work as neatly as leaders like President Donald Trump think. What we are likely to have is what we are beginning to see now, a lot of chaos, prolonged crisis, both within Iran and around it, and a lot of uproar around the world.”
Baba-Ahmed stressed that global instability often has far-reaching consequences, urging Nigerian leaders and citizens alike to remain vigilant in the face of unfolding international developments.