The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said President Bola Tinubu is celebrating President Donald Trump’s letter to him as if it were a referendum on the state of the nation.
The party however stated that there is noting strange in Donald Trump’s letter, noting that diplomatic correspondence between heads of state is a normal feature of international relations.
ADC in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi told the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government that true measure of any government is not what is written about it abroad, but what its citizens experience every day.
“That is why the celebration surrounding this letter is difficult to understand,” the party stated, adding that for the millions of Nigerians still living with the consequences of the APC 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.
“Indeed, it is telling that even as the presidency chose to publicise President Trump’s letter, the United States Department of State’s travel advisory on Nigeria remained unchanged,” the party said.
ADC stated that while the presidency celebrated what it regarded as an endorsement from the White House, the official U.S. government advisory continued to place parts of Nigeria under Level 3 and Level 4 travel warnings, urging American citizens to reconsider travel because of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and other security concerns.
The party wondered how correspondence from a government that designates several Nigerian states as ‘Do Not Travel’ areas could be regarded as an endorsement, pointing out that the advisory alone is a reminder that, whatever diplomatic courtesies might be exchanged between presidents, the international assessment of Nigeria’s security challenges remains far removed from the picture the presidency is eager to paint.
According to the ADC, the daily reality of Nigerians is shaped not by diplomatic correspondence, but by the guarantee that they can go about their lives without falling victim to violent crime or terrorism, adding that no letter offers relief, and no foreign commendation could replace the real protection of citizens.
“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 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.
“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,” the party added.
