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Nigeria’s opposition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has described the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the United States as a “clear warning” to governments that lack legitimacy.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC said the development sends “a strong message to the Nigerian government and any other government that lacks legitimacy.”
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While reaffirming its support for the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference as enshrined in Articles 2(1) and 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, the ADC said such doctrines should not be used to shield authoritarianism.
“International governance doctrines, which were designed to maintain global order, should not be invoked to provide a safe haven for tyranny, electoral fraud, or the systematic denial of a people’s right to freely choose their leaders,” Mr Abdullahi said.
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The party said it was public knowledge that Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election was widely condemned as illegitimate and deeply flawed by several governments in Latin America, the European Union and international democratic institutions.
According to the ADC, the election process was marked by fraud, repression and exclusion, with political opponents barred from contesting, protests met with violence and state institutions deployed against citizens.
It said the resulting mass migration from Venezuela had undermined regional stability.
Although the party noted that the US action raises “serious and legitimate questions under international law,” it said the public reaction within Venezuela highlighted a deeper crisis of legitimacy.
“The visible wave of popular public support that followed within Venezuela speaks to a deeper crisis of legitimacy of the Maduro government,” the ADC spokesperson said, adding that public celebrations exposed “the bankruptcy of the regime that has been upended.”
The party also criticised the Nigerian government for failing to comment on the situation more than 48 hours after it unfolded.
The ADC described the silence of the APC-led administration of President Bola Tinubu as “deeply embarrassing,” saying it showed that Nigeria had lost both voice and standing on the international stage.
“At a moment when the world is grappling with the difficult balance between sovereignty, democracy, and accountability, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest democracy, is conspicuously absent,” the statement said.
The party further argued that the silence reflected a moral crisis that undermines the government’s legitimacy.
“Let’s be clear: the Nigerian government’s choice of silence in this moment has nothing to do with neutrality. It instead reveals a government that lacks confidence simply because it lacks integrity,” Mr Abdullahi said.
The ADC said it believes sovereignty must reflect the will of the people rather than the survival of a regime, adding that democracy should translate into freedom, fairness and improved living conditions for citizens.
It further described the situation in Venezuela as “a cautionary tale to all dictators, including the supposedly elected ones, and election riggers everywhere,” warning that “contrived mandates will no longer find a place to hide.”
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the United States carried out a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela, resulting in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
READ ALSO: Trump says US will run Venezuela following kidnap of Maduro by American forces
Mr Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the country” following the operation conducted in conjunction with US law enforcement agencies.
The US president later said Washington would “run” Venezuela following the operation, which prompted the Venezuelan government to declare a national emergency and accuse the United States of “extremely serious military aggression.”
Mr Trump described Mr Maduro as an “illegitimate dictator” and said the US was prepared to stage a second attack, although he added it might not be necessary.
On Monday, Mr Maduro told a New York court, where he was charged by American authorities for drug-related offences, that he was kidnapped by the US.
