ADC tells Tinubu: Trump’s letter won’t determine Nigerians’ verdict

Nigeria's opposition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticized the presidency's celebration of a reported letter from former U.S. President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu. The ADC argues that such diplomatic exchanges cannot replace the Nigerian people's verdict on the current administration's performance, especially in light of ongoing economic hardship and insecurity.

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What is apparent, however, is this administration’s desperation to seize upon any gesture of international recognition as proof of success at home. A letter from a foreign president, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for the verdict of the Nigerian people. The true measure of any government is not what is written about it abroad, but what its citizens experience every day.

In a statement released Thursday in Abuja, the ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the Tinubu administration of seeking international validation while citizens grapple with declining living conditions. The party stressed that standard diplomatic practices should not be misconstrued as endorsements of a government's achievements. The reported letter, according to the ADC, does little to alter the country's security realities or alleviate economic difficulties.

"What is apparent, however, is this administration’s desperation to seize upon any gesture of international recognition as proof of success at home," the statement read. "A letter from a foreign president, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for the verdict of the Nigerian people. The true measure of any government is not what is written about it abroad, but what its citizens experience every day."

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Ultimately, Nigerians will not judge this government by the letters it receives from foreign capitals. They will judge it by whether it improved the lives of the people it was elected to serve.

The ADC maintained that President Tinubu's legacy will hinge on his impact on Nigerians' lives, not on diplomatic communications. The party highlighted persistent security challenges, including the captivity of women and children in Borno and Kwara states and ongoing attacks in Benue, arguing that diplomatic exchanges offer little reassurance to those living under the threat of terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping. The ADC also questioned the apparent contradiction between the presidency's excitement over the letter and the U.S. Department of State's continued travel advisories for parts of Nigeria.

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For the millions of Nigerians still living with the consequences of this government’s failures, President Trump’s communication changes nothing. It did not say that insecurity has been overcome or that Nigerians can once again travel freely, farm safely, and sleep without fear.