The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said the failure of President Bola Tinubu to react to Saturday’s capture of President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and his wife by United States (US) President Donald Trump is because of the fear that he might suffer the fate
ADC, in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said that although it supports the principles of sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations, any government that holds its national laws in contempt and tramples on the rights of its citizens opens itself up for external interference.
The party stated that President Maduro’s arrest sends a strong message to the Nigerian government and any other government that lacks legitimacy.
It recalled that the 2024 Venezuela presidential elections were widely condemned as illegitimate and deeply flawed by nine governments across Latin America, the European Union, and international democratic institutions, because the process was marked by fraud, repression and exclusion.
“Political opponents were barred from contesting, peaceful protests were met with violence, state institutions were weaponised against the very citizens they exist to serve.
“The net consequence of this has been mass migration at a scale that undermines regional stability,” the ADC noted.
The party stated that while the United States’ intervention raises serious and legitimate questions under international law, the wave of popular public support that followed within Venezuela speaks to a deeper crisis of legitimacy of the Maduro government.
“When citizens pour into the streets in celebration, it reveals more than approval of an intervention; it exposes the bankruptcy of the regime that has been upended,” it added.
ADC said it is embarrassing that more than 48 hours after the situation in Venezuela, the Nigerian government is yet to react in any way, pointing out that President Tinubu’s silence is a further indication that Nigeria has lost both voice and standing on the international stage.
“At a moment when the world is grappling with the difficult balance between sovereignty, democracy, and accountability, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest democracy, is conspicuously absent.
“Apart from the lamentable decline in Nigeria’s global and national standing under this administration, this silence reflects the government’s moral crisis, which removes its legitimacy to take a principled stand on anything,” the party stated.
It, however, said the Nigerian government’s silence has nothing to do with neutrality, but it’s a lack of confidence and integrity.
The party maintained its principle that sovereignty must reflect the will of the people, and not the survival of a regime.
“In Nigeria, in Venezuela, and across the world, democracy must mean more than ballots and electoralism. It must translate to freedom, fairness, and a happier life for the citizens,” ADC demanded.
The party warned that the situation in Venezuela should be a cautionary tale to all dictators, including the supposedly elected ones, and election riggers everywhere.
“The world is watching, and contrived mandates will no longer find a place to hide,” it added.
