Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has slammed the federal government, saying it failed to communicate following reports of US military strikes against terrorist properties linked to Nigeria.
This is according to a press statement dated December 26, 2025, signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Comrade Ini Emebon.
The party expressed concern that Nigerians first learned of the operation through the verified social media accounts of US President Donald Trump and other US officials, before the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced what it called a vague and delayed response.
The PDP said the development raises serious questions regarding transparency, sovereignty and the coordination framework governing Nigeria’s security cooperation with foreign partners.
what they are saying
According to the PDP, the federal government passively confirmed knowledge of and cooperation with the reported U.S. operation only hours after the information had already spread globally.
The party argued that this “reverse communication approach” where foreign governments announce security operations in Nigeria before the Nigerian authorities does not serve the interests of the country or its people.
“The Federal Government should have been the first to report the news in order to properly sensitize Nigerians instead of waiting to confirm the news that is already in the public domain unless informed like other citizens,” the party said.
The PDP added that the situation gives the impression that the government as well as the general public were unknowingly caught up in the situation.
Concerns about sovereignty and past operations
The opposition also cited previous reports that the US military had infiltrated and conducted operations in Nigeria without the knowledge or approval of Nigerian authorities.
According to the PDP, this historical context makes the recent breakdown in communication even more alarming.
The party warned that such a pattern could undermine public confidence in government control over national security activities and weaken perceptions of Nigeria’s sovereignty.
The PDP called on the federal government to review and strengthen its defense agreement with the United States to prioritize joint operations. According to the statement, such cooperation would facilitate information sharing, capacity building and experiential learning for Nigeria’s security forces. The party warned against relying on what it described as “precision strikes” that were entirely externally led, arguing that sustainable solutions to insecurity required deeper local engagement and systemic learning.
back story
The Federal Government of Nigeria confirmed on Friday that it would engage and cooperate with the United States following the US military airstrikes against terrorist targets in the northwestern region of the country.
This was disclosed in a statement titled “Nigeria-US Security and Intelligence Cooperation Hits Terrorist Targets in Nigeria” issued by Kimyebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.
But the confirmation came hours after President Donald Trump announced he had authorized a “strong and deadly attack” on an ISIS terror base in northwestern Nigeria.
The announcement was made through his Truth Social account, where he said the U.S. Department of the Army carried out “a number of perfected attacks” targeting extremists.
