Dare Babalola
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized the Federal Government for failing to inform Nigerians about the US military strikes against terrorists in Sokoto State before the news broke internationally, describing the delay as a “troubling lapse in security communication and leadership”.
According to PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, Nigerians first learnt of the operation through verified social media accounts of US President Donald Trump and other American officials late Thursday night, several hours before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement acknowledging the strikes.
“Nigerians were notified of the American strike on terrorists’ assets through the verified social media pages of President Trump and other American officials before the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a vague statement many hours later, offering a passive confirmation of the knowledge and cooperation of the Nigerian Government in the operation,” Ememobong said.
The PDP argued that the Federal Government should have led in announcing the development to reassure citizens and demonstrate control over national security matters.
“While international cooperation in the fight against high crimes like terrorism is very much appreciated, the Peoples Democratic Party is deeply concerned about a communication structure where foreign powers break the news of security operations in our country before our government does. This inverted communication approach does not help the Federal Government or Nigerians in any way,” the statement read.
The party also recalled past reports of US military operations in Nigeria allegedly conducted without the knowledge of the government, warning that such precedents raise questions about sovereignty and accountability.
It urged the Federal Government to ensure that its defence pact with the United States prioritises joint operations that build Nigeria’s capacity to combat insecurity.
“The Federal Government should have been the first to report the news in order to properly sensitise the Nigerian populace, instead of waiting to confirm news already in public circulation, unless they were taken unawares like the rest of the citizens.
We urge the Federal Government to ensure that the defence agreement with the United States of America includes joint operations, which will ultimately result in knowledge sharing and experiential learning to help Nigeria sustainably combat insecurity, rather than full externally led ‘precision attacks’,” the PDP stated.
