The African Democratic Congress has said the unfolding crisis in Venezuela should serve as a warning to Nigeria, criticising the Federal Government for failing to react to the arrest and trial of Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, by the United States.
In a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party argued that the development reflects a growing international intolerance for governments it described as illegitimate and products of flawed electoral processes.
Maduro was arrested on Saturday during a United States military operation authorised by President Donald Trump. He and his wife were later flown to New York to face charges linked to drug trafficking and arms-related offences.
The ADC said Nigeria’s silence on the matter, in contrast to reactions from other countries and global leaders, amounted to a national embarrassment. It alleged that the lack of response stemmed from President Bola Tinubu’s personal fears that he could one day face a similar international reckoning.
According to the party, the action taken by the United States sends a strong signal to governments that lack popular legitimacy. While reaffirming its support for the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference as contained in the United Nations Charter, the ADC insisted such doctrines should not be used to shield authoritarian rule, electoral fraud or the denial of citizens’ democratic rights.
The party noted that Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election had been widely condemned by governments across Latin America, the European Union and international democratic bodies, citing allegations of fraud, repression and the exclusion of opposition figures. It added that these failures had contributed to mass migration and regional instability.
Although acknowledging that the US intervention raised serious questions under international law, the ADC said public celebrations in parts of Venezuela following Maduro’s arrest pointed to a deeper crisis of legitimacy for his administration.
The party further criticised the Tinubu-led administration for failing to issue any official statement more than 48 hours after the incident, saying the silence underscored Nigeria’s declining influence and credibility on the global stage.
It argued that Nigeria’s absence from an important international debate on sovereignty, democracy and accountability reflected what it described as a moral crisis within the government, undermining its ability to take principled positions on global issues.
The ADC maintained that true sovereignty must be rooted in the will of the people rather than the survival of political regimes. It added that democracy should go beyond elections to deliver freedom, fairness and improved living conditions for citizens.
Concluding, the party described the situation in Venezuela as a cautionary tale for authoritarian leaders and election manipulators worldwide, warning that the international community was increasingly unwilling to tolerate contrived mandates.
