By Ikechukwu Samuel
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed the Presidency’s celebration of a reported letter from United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu, arguing that diplomatic correspondence cannot replace the judgment of Nigerians on the administration’s performance.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party accused the Tinubu administration of seeking international approval while many Nigerians continue to face economic hardship, insecurity and declining living conditions.
The ADC said exchanges between world leaders are standard diplomatic practice and should not be interpreted as endorsements of a government’s achievements.
According to the party, the reported letter from Trump neither changes the country’s security realities nor addresses the economic difficulties confronting citizens.
“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 opposition party maintained that President Tinubu’s legacy would ultimately be determined by his impact on the lives of Nigerians rather than by diplomatic communications from foreign governments.
“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 further described the excitement over the reported correspondence as misplaced, insisting that it offers no solution to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
It pointed to the continued captivity of hundreds of women and children in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while noting that communities in Benue and other parts of the country remain affected by recurring attacks.
The party argued that diplomatic exchanges provide little reassurance to citizens living 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 ADC also questioned what it called an inconsistency between the Presidency’s celebration of the reported letter and the United States government’s existing travel advisories on Nigeria.
It observed that although the Presidency has portrayed the communication as evidence of growing international confidence, the U.S. Department of State continues to maintain Level Three and Level Four travel advisories for parts of Nigeria over concerns including 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 party stressed that commendations or correspondence from foreign leaders cannot replace the Federal Government’s constitutional obligation to protect lives and improve citizens’ welfare.
“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 ADC urged the Tinubu administration to place greater emphasis on addressing domestic challenges and improving governance instead of drawing attention to diplomatic exchanges.
“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,” it noted.
