Former Governor of Sokoto State and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has revealed that the reported United States military intervention in Nigeria last December was never brought before the National Assembly for deliberation or approval. He described the situation as troubling, especially given the constitutional role of the legislature in matters relating to national security and foreign military cooperation.
Tambuwal made this disclosure during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, where he criticised what he described as the absence of legislative oversight in agreements involving Nigeria and foreign military partners. According to him, arrangements of such magnitude should not be handled without the knowledge and input of elected representatives of the people.
He stressed that any form of military or security cooperation between Nigeria and another country must be clearly defined, transparent and properly documented. Tambuwal added that such protocols should apply to all foreign partners, not only the United States, to ensure accountability and safeguard Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“As a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I can tell you that these matters were never tabled before us,” he said. “If you ask members of the Senate today, we cannot explain how this came about. At this level of governance, there are certain issues that lawmakers should be fully briefed on.”
Reflecting on the December incident and earlier public statements credited to the United States government, Tambuwal suggested that external pressure may have influenced the posture of the ruling administration. He observed that the comments attributed to former US President Donald Trump, followed by the reported missile strike, appeared to have jolted the government into reassessing its approach to security challenges.
According to him, the intervention seemed to prompt a more decisive response from the authorities, leading to what he described as a noticeable shift in how the administration addressed emerging threats. “Those developments appeared to have had some effect,” Tambuwal said. “It forced the government to pause and reflect on the situation. You could see some positive changes in the way the administration began to think and act afterwards.”
When asked whether he would welcome further military actions by the United States in Nigeria, Tambuwal made it clear that he was opposed to additional attacks. Instead, he advocated for a more structured and diplomatic approach rooted in mutual respect, openness and clearly defined agreements.
“I would not want to see more attacks,” he stated. “What we need is a clear, transparent and well-articulated framework that defines engagements between the Nigerian government and the United States government. Such cooperation should be based on dialogue, shared understanding and respect for Nigeria’s institutions.”
Tambuwal’s comments have once again drawn attention to the broader debate over transparency, legislative involvement and national sovereignty in Nigeria’s security partnerships with foreign powers.
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