The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Federal Government over what it described as poor and ineffective communication following a reported United States strike on terrorist assets in Nigeria.
The statement was signed and issued on Friday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong.
According to party, Nigerians first learned of the operation through verified social media accounts of former US President Donald Trump and other American officials, long before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement confirming the country’s awareness and cooperation.
According to the PDP, the delayed and “vague” response from the Federal Government raised concerns about Nigeria’s communication structure on sensitive national security matters.
“While international cooperation in the fight against terrorism is appreciated, it is troubling that foreign powers announce security operations on Nigerian soil before our own government,” the party said.
The PDP argued that such an approach does not serve the interests of either the Federal Government or Nigerians, particularly against the backdrop of previous reports that US forces had entered and conducted operations in Nigeria without the prior knowledge or approval of Nigerian authorities.
The opposition party stressed that the Federal Government should have taken the lead in informing citizens about the strike in order to properly sensitise the public, rather than merely confirming information that was already circulating widely.
“Anything short of this creates the impression that the government was either unprepared or taken unawares, just like ordinary citizens,” the statement added.
The PDP further urged the Federal Government to ensure that any defence agreement with the United States prioritises joint operations that promote knowledge sharing and experiential learning for Nigerian security agencies.
It warned against reliance on fully externally-led “precision attacks,” noting that sustainable solutions to insecurity require strengthening Nigeria’s own capacity.
Foreign powers should not break security news before Nigeria – PDP faults FG
Source: Foreign powers should not break security news before Nigeria – PDP faults FG
