The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed the Presidency’s celebration of a letter reportedly sent by United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu, saying no message from a foreign leader can determine how Nigerians assess the current administration.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party accused the Federal Government of seeking international approval while many Nigerians continue to struggle with insecurity, economic hardship and declining living conditions.
The party argued that diplomatic correspondence between world leaders is a normal occurrence and should not be presented as evidence of the administration’s achievements.
According to the ADC, the letter from Trump does not reflect the realities facing ordinary Nigerians or change the country’s security and economic situation.
“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,” the statement partly read.
The party maintained that the Tinubu administration would ultimately be judged by its performance and the impact of its policies on citizens.
“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,” it said.
The ADC also described the excitement over the communication as misplaced, insisting that it does not address the country’s growing security concerns.
It noted that hundreds of women and children remain in captivity in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while several communities in Benue and other states continue to suffer attacks by armed groups.
According to the party, diplomatic exchanges provide little reassurance to Nigerians who still live under the threat of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
“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,” it added.
The opposition party further questioned what it described as the contradiction between the Presidency’s celebration of the letter and the United States government’s travel advisory on Nigeria.
It pointed out that while the Presidency has portrayed the correspondence as a sign of growing international confidence, the U.S. Department of State still maintains Level Three and Level Four travel advisories for parts of Nigeria because of terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime and civil unrest.
“We therefore wonder how correspondence from a government that designates several Nigerian states as ‘Do Not Travel’ areas can be regarded as an endorsement. That advisory alone is a reminder that, whatever diplomatic courtesies may be exchanged between presidents, the international assessment of Nigeria’s security challenges remains far removed from the picture the Presidency is eager to paint,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC stressed that commendations or diplomatic messages from foreign governments cannot replace the Federal Government’s constitutional obligation to protect lives and improve the welfare of Nigerians.
“For all intents and purposes, President Trump’s letter is simply communication between one president and another. It does not amount to an endorsement of this government’s overall performance, nor does it absolve the administration of its responsibility to confront the challenges that continue to weigh heavily on more than 200 million Nigerians,” he added.
The party urged the Tinubu administration to place greater attention on addressing the country’s pressing challenges instead of celebrating diplomatic correspondence.
“The Tinubu administration would therefore do well to devote less energy to celebrating letters of courtesy from abroad and more to delivering measurable results at home,” the statement concluded.