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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed what it described as the Presidency’s celebration of a purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu, insisting that no diplomatic correspondence from a foreign leader can determine the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said the Tinubu administration appeared more interested in seeking foreign validation than addressing the insecurity, economic hardship and declining living standards confronting millions of Nigerians.
The ADC argued that routine diplomatic exchanges between world leaders should not be presented as endorsements of an administration’s performance, stressing that any communication from President Trump neither reflected the realities facing Nigerians nor altered the country’s security and socio-economic challenges.
“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 read.
The party maintained that President Tinubu would ultimately be judged by Nigerians on his performance in office rather than by diplomatic exchanges with foreign leaders.
“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 surrounding the reported letter as misplaced, arguing that it offered no relief to citizens affected by the country’s worsening security challenges. It noted that hundreds of women and children remain in captivity in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while communities in Benue and other states continue to suffer violent attacks.
“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,” the party stated.
The opposition further questioned what it described as the contradiction between the Presidency’s celebration of the correspondence and the United States government’s travel advisory on Nigeria. It pointed out that the U.S. Department of State continues to maintain Level Three and Level Four travel advisories for parts of the country over 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.
According to the ADC, no foreign commendation can replace the constitutional responsibility of the Federal Government to guarantee the security and 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.”
The party urged the Federal Government to focus less on publicising diplomatic exchanges and more on delivering measurable improvements in governance.
“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 comes amid political debate over a letter reportedly sent by President Trump to President Tinubu, which the Presidency has presented as evidence of cordial relations between both leaders.
The ADC, one of the major opposition platforms ahead of the 2027 general election, has consistently criticised the administration over persistent insecurity, economic difficulties and the rising cost of living. Nigeria continues to grapple with terrorism in the North-East, banditry and mass abductions in parts of the North-West and North-Central, as well as recurring communal violence across several states, while the United States maintains elevated travel advisories for affected areas.
