The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has slammed the United States President Donald Trump’s move to arrest and put Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife on trial as a stark warning to governments that lack legitimacy, saying such regimes leave themselves open to external intervention.
The coalition party also criticised the Nigerian government for failing to react to the development, describing the silence of the Bola Tinubu–led administration as “an embarrassment to the country.”
In a statement issued on Monday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said while the party upholds the principles of sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of nations, those principles cannot be used to shield tyranny and electoral fraud.
According to Abdullahi, any government that treats its own laws with contempt and tramples on the rights of its citizens “inevitably invites external interference.”
“The move by the United States Government is a clear warning that sends a strong message to the Nigerian government and any other government that lacks legitimacy,” the ADC said, adding that international governance doctrines should not become “a safe haven for tyranny, electoral fraud, or the systematic denial of the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.”
The party noted that the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election was widely condemned as illegitimate and deeply flawed by several Latin American governments, the European Union and international democratic institutions.
“It was a process marked by fraud, repression and exclusion. Political opponents were barred from contesting, peaceful protests were met with violence, and state institutions were weaponised against the very citizens they exist to serve,” the statement said.
ADC added that the resulting mass migration from Venezuela has undermined regional stability, describing it as a direct consequence of the regime’s loss of legitimacy.
While acknowledging that the U.S. action raises serious questions under international law, the party said the visible public celebrations within Venezuela following the intervention point to a deeper legitimacy crisis for the Maduro government.
“When citizens pour into the streets in celebration, it exposes the bankruptcy of the regime that has been upended,” the party stated.
The ADC also faulted the Nigerian government for remaining silent more than 48 hours after the developments in Venezuela, arguing that the silence reflects Nigeria’s declining global relevance.
“This silence by the APC-led Bola Tinubu administration is a further indication that Nigeria has lost both voice and standing on the international stage,” the party said.
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“At a moment when the world is grappling with the balance between sovereignty, democracy and accountability, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest democracy, is conspicuously absent.”
The party said the silence reflects not neutrality but a moral crisis, adding that a government without integrity lacks the confidence to take a principled stand.
ADC stressed that sovereignty must ultimately reflect the will of the people, not merely the survival of a regime.
“In Nigeria, in Venezuela, and across the world, democracy must mean more than ballots. It must translate to freedom, fairness and a happier life for citizens,” the party said.
Describing the situation in Venezuela as a cautionary tale, the ADC warned dictators and “supposedly elected leaders who rig elections” that the world is watching.
“Contrived mandates will no longer find a place to hide,” the statement added.
