PDP Slams FG for Letting US Announce Strikes Before Nigeria

The Peoples Democratic Party has raised concerns over the recent United States air strikes against terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, faulting the Federal Government’s handling of communication around the operation.

In a statement released on Friday, by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said Nigerians first learned about the strikes through announcements by US President Donald Trump and other American officials, before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued what it described as a delayed and unclear response.

The opposition party noted that while global cooperation against terrorism is welcome, it was troubled that “foreign powers break the news of security operations in our country before our government does,” warning that such an approach undermines public confidence and national coordination.

According to the PDP, the situation was made more worrying by past reports of foreign military operations carried out in Nigeria without full public disclosure, arguing that this history makes timely and transparent communication even more critical.

The party said 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.”

The PDP further suggested that the silence from Nigerian authorities raised questions about whether the government was fully prepared for the public response to the operation, stating that delayed confirmation could give the impression that officials were “taken unawares like the rest of the citizens.”

While reiterating its support for international partnerships against terrorism, the party urged the Federal Government to prioritise joint operational frameworks that strengthen local capacity.

It called on authorities to ensure that defence agreements with the United States emphasise collaboration and knowledge transfer, rather than relying on “full externally-led ‘precision attacks’.”

The statement stressed that effective communication and inclusive security strategies are essential if international cooperation is to translate into lasting gains against insecurity in Nigeria.