The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a strongly worded statement describing the United States’ dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a “cautionary tale” for governments worldwide, including Nigeria’s administration under President Bola Tinubu.
In a press release signed by National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC characterised the US military operation which saw Maduro and his wife seized in Caracas on 3 January and flown to New York to face drug trafficking charges as a stark warning to regimes perceived to lack legitimacy.
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“The ADC considers Saturday’s action by the United States Government to arrest the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife as a clear warning that sends a strong message to the Nigerian government and any other government that lacks legitimacy,” the statement read.
The party highlighted the widespread condemnation of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential elections, marred by allegations of fraud, repression, and exclusion, as evidence that doctrines of sovereignty and non-interference cannot shield tyrannical rule or electoral manipulation.
While acknowledging concerns over international law, the ADC noted the celebrations in Venezuelan streets following Maduro’s removal as exposing the “bankruptcy” of his regime.
“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 said.
The statement reserved particular criticism for President Tinubu’s government, branding its silence more than 48 hours after the event as “deeply embarrassing” and indicative of Nigeria’s diminished global standing.
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“This silence by the APC-led Bola Tinubu administration is a further indication that Nigeria, under President Tinubu, has lost both voice and standing on the international stage,” Abdullahi wrote, adding that it reflected a “moral crisis” eroding the government’s legitimacy to take principled positions.
The ADC emphasised that true democracy must deliver freedom, fairness, and improved living standards, not merely electoral processes.
“In this context, the ADC believes that the situation in Venezuela is 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.”
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