The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Federal Government’s (FG) handling of information regarding the recent United States military strikes against terrorist targets on Nigerian soil.
PDP in, a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, on Friday described the delayed response as a “troubling lapse” in security communication.
The party expressed concern that Nigerians first learned of the Christmas Day operations through the social media accounts of President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials rather than from their own government.
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PDP observed that while the U.S. government broke the news late Thursday night, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs only issued what it termed a “vague and passive” confirmation several hours later.
The PDP argued that this “inverted” flow of information—where foreign powers report on Nigerian security events before the local authorities—undermines national leadership.
“The Federal Government should have been the first to report the news in order to properly sensitize the Nigerian populace, instead of waiting to confirm news already in public circulation, unless they were taken unawares like the rest of the citizens,” the party said.
While acknowledging the value of international cooperation in fighting terrorism, the PDP raised questions about the level of Nigerian involvement in the mission.
The party noted reports that the U.S. military had previously operated within Nigeria’s borders without government permission.
To prevent a recurrence of what it described as “full externally-led precision attacks,” the PDP urged the FG to ensure that any defence agreements with the United States include true joint operations with the active participation of Nigerian forces.
The party also called for robust knowledge sharing through the transfer of tactical expertise to enable Nigeria to independently combat insecurity, as well as experiential learning aimed at building sustainable local capacity rather than relying solely on foreign air power.
The party called for a more robust and proactive communication structure within the presidency and security ministries.
It maintained that the current approach does not help the government’s image and leaves citizens dependent on foreign sources for critical updates on their own national security.
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The U.S. airstrikes, which targeted ISIS-linked camps in Sokoto State, were characterised by Trump as a response to the “slaughter of Christians,” though the Nigerian government has maintained the operation was a joint effort to protect all Nigerians from terrorism.
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