The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticised the Federal Government over its handling of public communication regarding recent United States airstrikes on terrorist targets in North-West Nigeria, arguing that Nigerian authorities should have informed citizens before the announcement was made by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The main opposition party expressed concern that Nigerians first learned about the sensitive security operation through statements issued by American officials rather than from their own government. According to the PDP, this sequence of events reflects a troubling lapse in strategic communication and raises questions about transparency, sovereignty, and public confidence in national security management.
The controversy followed a post by President Donald Trump on Thursday via his Truth Social platform, in which he announced that U.S. forces had carried out airstrikes in North-West Nigeria, killing several terrorists. Trump described the operation as “numerous perfect strikes” executed by the United States military, adding that his administration would not allow what he termed “Radical Islamic Terrorism” to prosper.
Shortly after Trump’s announcement gained widespread attention online and in international media, the Nigerian government confirmed that the strikes had indeed taken place and stated that they were conducted in collaboration with Nigerian authorities.
However, the PDP faulted the Federal Government for reacting only after the information was already in the public domain. In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesman, Ini Ememobong, the party said the government should have taken the lead in informing Nigerians about such a significant security development.
“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,” Ememobong said.
The PDP’s position was further elaborated in an official press statement titled “US Strike on Terrorists: FG Should Communicate Effectively”, which was shared on the party’s verified social media platforms. The statement emphasised that Nigerians were informed of the American strike through President Trump and other U.S. officials before any communication came from Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence, the Presidency, or relevant security agencies.
According to the opposition party, the “passive confirmation” by the Federal Government that it had knowledge of and cooperated in the operation raised serious concerns about a communication framework that allows foreign governments to announce security operations on Nigerian soil ahead of Nigerian authorities.
“This inverted communication approach does not help the Federal Government or Nigerians in any way,” the PDP stated, noting that such lapses are particularly worrying given past reports that foreign military forces had previously operated in Nigeria without the explicit knowledge or approval of the government.
The PDP argued that, even where international cooperation is involved, it is the responsibility of the Nigerian government to brief its citizens promptly and clearly, especially on matters that touch on national security, territorial integrity, and public safety.
Trump’s announcement was characteristically forceful. In his post, he wrote: “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
He added a controversial message tied to the Christmas season, stating: “May God bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
While Trump did not provide operational details such as casualty figures, specific locations, or the identities of the targeted groups, his remarks came weeks after earlier statements in which he claimed that Christians in Nigeria were facing what he described as an “existential threat” and “genocide.”
Following Trump’s post, the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, confirmed that the operation, which reportedly took place in Sokoto State, was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities. This assertion was later echoed by senior Nigerian officials.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, addressed the issue during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he confirmed that the airstrikes were approved by the Nigerian government and carried out as a joint operation.
According to Tuggar, Nigeria not only granted approval but also provided the intelligence that enabled the U.S. military to carry out the strikes. He disclosed that he personally held extensive discussions with senior U.S. officials ahead of the operation.
“It was Nigeria that provided intelligence for the U.S. strike in Nigeria,” Tuggar said. “I spoke with the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, for 19 minutes before the strike, and we agreed to talk to President Tinubu for his go-ahead, and he gave it.”
The foreign minister stressed that President Bola Tinubu had made it clear that any such military action must be framed and understood as a joint operation. He also emphasised that the strikes were not targeted at any religion or carried out in the name of one faith against another.
“Now that the U.S. is cooperating, we would do it jointly, and we would ensure, just as the President emphasised before he gave the go-ahead, that it must be made clear that it is a joint operation,” Tuggar said. “It is not targeting any religion nor simply in the name of one religion or the other.”
Despite these assurances, the PDP maintained that the issue at stake was not the legitimacy of the operation itself, but the manner in which information about it was communicated to Nigerians. The party warned that poor communication on security matters could fuel misinformation, heighten anxiety, and undermine public trust in government institutions.
Security analysts have also noted that in an era of instant information and social media amplification, governments must be proactive rather than reactive in managing narratives around sensitive operations. Failure to do so, they argue, allows external actors to dominate the narrative and shape public perception.
As debates continue, the Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to international cooperation in tackling terrorism and insecurity, particularly in regions affected by banditry and extremist violence. However, the PDP’s criticism has added a political dimension to the discussion, highlighting broader concerns about governance, accountability, and effective communication in Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges.
The episode has reignited calls for clearer protocols on how and when Nigerians are informed about joint military operations involving foreign partners, especially those conducted within the country’s borders.
