The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that the recent United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) airstrikes on suspected terrorist locations in Sokoto State are clear evidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has outsourced his most important constitutional responsibility—the security of Nigeria and the protection of its citizens.
Journalist101 recalls that President Donald Trump confirmed that United States forces carried out what he described as “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in northwestern Nigeria on Thursday, following his earlier warning to the group to halt attacks on Christians in the country.
However, in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi on Friday, the ADC said the foreign military intervention represents a dangerous failure of leadership and a troubling surrender of national sovereignty.
While acknowledging the seriousness of Nigeria’s security challenges, the party said the fight against terrorism must remain a Nigeria-led effort anchored on constitutional responsibility and national self-respect.
“We recognise the urgent need to protect Nigerian lives and support all lawful and effective measures to defeat terrorism,” Abdullahi said. “However, we must not allow desperation to push Nigeria into a position where foreign military forces substitute for the constitutional duties of our own government.”
Reacting to the AFRICOM airstrikes carried out on Thursday, December 25, 2025, the ADC said the action could only be understood as a desperate and abnormal measure that exposes the failure of the Tinubu administration to lead the fight against insecurity.
According to the party, the development underscores what it described as the historic incompetence of the current administration in handling national security, diplomacy and governance priorities.
“This is what happens when governance is reduced to revenue collection, while national security and diplomacy are treated as afterthoughts,” the statement said.
The ADC also condemned the manner in which Nigerians were informed of the airstrikes, noting that the first public confirmation came from a social media post by the American President rather than an address by President Tinubu.
“When it comes to politics and propaganda, the President addresses the nation directly,” Abdullahi said. “Yet, on an issue as sensitive and consequential as a foreign military strike on Nigerian soil, Nigerians heard first from Washington. This reflects a frightening lack of appreciation of the historic significance of this incident.”
The party further questioned the Federal Government’s claim of collaboration with the United States, arguing that Nigeria merely played a supporting role in an operation it should have led.
“By its own admission, the Nigerian government provided intelligence and managed narratives, effectively acting as an informant in an operation it ought to have commanded,” the ADC stated.
The ADC therefore demanded full disclosure on the terms of engagement governing the operation, including the extent of Nigeria’s operational control and the actual number of terrorists neutralised.
“How many terrorists were actually killed? What special skills or technology did Nigeria lack despite the trillions of naira spent on security over the years?” Abdullahi asked. “If Nigeria possessed actionable intelligence, why was it unable to lead the mission itself?”
The party also sought clarity on the immediate outcomes of the strike and whether Nigerians should expect more foreign military operations on Nigerian soil.
Warning against what it described as a dangerous erosion of sovereignty, the ADC said there is a clear difference between strategic cooperation and the outsourcing of core constitutional responsibilities.
“What we are witnessing is a President who has taken a back seat in a vehicle he is constitutionally assigned to drive,” the statement said, adding that Nigerians are entitled to ask who is truly in charge of their country.
While reaffirming its support for genuine efforts to defeat terrorism, the ADC said it is deeply disturbed by the long-term implications of the U.S. airstrikes for Nigeria’s sovereignty, strategic autonomy and national self-respect.
“No one should believe that a single airstrike can end a war of this nature,” the party concluded. “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.”
