The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the December 25, 2025 airstrikes carried out by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) in Sokoto State, describing the development as a stark indictment of what it called the administration’s “historic incompetence” in handling Nigeria’s security challenges.
Acknowledging the need to protect Nigerian lives and defeat terrorism, the opposition party warned that allowing foreign military forces to conduct direct combat operations on Nigerian soil undermines national sovereignty and is not sustainable in the long term.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the airstrikes—targeting suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)—highlighted the failure of governance under President Tinubu, particularly in the area of national security.
The party argued that Nigeria should not be reduced to the role of an “informant” in a security operation it ought to have led, especially after spending trillions of naira on defence and security over the years.
“The ADC reiterates its long-standing opposition to the physical operation of foreign military forces on Nigerian soil. We must not allow our desperation today to compromise the sovereignty of our country,” the statement said.
The party also criticised the manner in which Nigerians were informed of the airstrikes, noting that the initial confirmation came from a social media post by U.S. President Donald Trump rather than a direct address by President Tinubu.
“When it comes to politics and propaganda, the President addresses the nation directly. Yet, on an issue as sensitive and consequential as a foreign military strike on Nigerian soil, Nigerians first heard about it from the American President,” the ADC said, describing the situation as “deeply troubling.”
Questioning the Nigerian government’s claim of collaboration, the ADC demanded full disclosure of the terms of engagement between Nigeria and the United States, including the level of operational control exercised by Nigerian forces.
The party specifically called on the government to clarify:
How many terrorists were actually killed in the airstrikes;
The identity of those neutralised;
Why Nigeria could not lead the operation if it had actionable intelligence;
What specialised technology or capability necessitated U.S. intervention; and
Whether more foreign-led strikes are expected.
The ADC further expressed concern over what it described as the persistent framing of Nigeria’s security crisis in religious terms by U.S. officials, warning that such narratives could endanger national unity.
“There is a difference between strategic collaboration and myopic surrender,” the party cautioned, alleging that President Tinubu had effectively outsourced his constitutional responsibility as Commander-in-Chief.
Reaffirming its support for the fight against terrorism, the ADC said it was deeply disturbed by the long-term implications of the airstrikes for Nigeria’s sovereignty, strategic autonomy, and self-respect.
“No one should pretend that a single strike can end a war of this nature,” the statement noted, while concluding that “what matters now is the direction the government intends to take going forward, beginning with honest answers to the critical questions this incident has raised.”
