The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Federal Government over what it described as a troubling and inverted flow of information following a recent United States strike on terrorist assets linked to Nigeria.
The opposition party said Nigerians first became aware of the operation through verified social media posts by former US President Donald Trump and other American officials, well before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official response.
According to the PDP, the ministry’s statement was vague and belated, merely confirming that the Nigerian government had knowledge of and cooperated in the operation, without offering clear details or leadership in briefing the public.
In a statement released on Friday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party acknowledged the value of international cooperation in combating terrorism but stressed that the manner of communicating security developments is critical.
The PDP expressed concern that foreign governments appeared to be shaping the narrative on security operations affecting Nigeria, while the Federal Government assumed a reactive posture.
It warned that such a communication approach does not serve Nigeria’s national interest, particularly in light of past reports suggesting that US forces had previously conducted operations within Nigeria without the government’s knowledge or consent.
The party argued that the Federal Government should have been the first to disclose and properly contextualise the development to sensitise Nigerians and manage public perception, rather than issuing a confirmation after the information had already circulated widely.
It added that the delay in official communication raises questions about whether the government was fully briefed ahead of the operation or was as uninformed as the general public.
The PDP urged the Federal Government to review its defence engagement with the United States to ensure better coordination, transparency and joint ownership of counterterrorism operations.
It maintained that defence partnerships should prioritise knowledge transfer and capacity building to enable Nigeria develop sustainable solutions to insecurity, rather than depending solely on externally driven “precision attacks”.
The party concluded that national sovereignty, public trust and effective counterterrorism efforts are weakened when Nigerians hear about security actions affecting their country first from foreign authorities instead of their own government.
