”Desperate, last-resort measure” – ADC slams Tinubu over US airstrikes, demands casualty report
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the recent US airstrikes on ISIS-linked targets in Sokoto State, accusing him of surrendering Nigeria’s core security responsibilities.
In a post on X on Friday, the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the President appeared to have “outsourced” his constitutional duty as Commander-in-Chief, questioning why a Nigerian president would seem to report to, or rely on, a foreign leader on such a critical national issue.
The comments followed reports that the United States carried out airstrikes on December 25, 2025, against Islamic State militants in Sokoto, in what US Africa Command described as a coordinated operation with Nigerian authorities based on shared intelligence. The limited information released about the operation has since raised concerns about sovereignty and transparency.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s grave security challenges, the ADC said protecting lives and defeating terrorism must remain a top priority and affirmed support for all lawful and effective measures to restore security. However, the party reiterated its opposition to the physical presence of foreign military forces on Nigerian soil, warning against compromising national sovereignty.
The ADC said it accepted the US-led airstrikes only as a “desperate, last-resort measure,” stressing that such actions must not replace Nigeria-led solutions to domestic security problems. It blamed the reliance on foreign intervention on what it described as the Tinubu administration’s failure to effectively address insecurity.
The party also faulted the government’s communication strategy, expressing concern that Nigerians first learned of the strikes through a social media post by the US President rather than a direct address from their own leader. According to the ADC, this reflected a lack of appreciation of the seriousness and historical significance of a foreign military operation on Nigerian soil.
The ADC concluded by calling on the Federal Government to be transparent and brief Nigerians on the outcome of the strikes, including the number of terrorists reportedly killed.
