U.S. capture of Maduro sends strong warning to Tinubu, other illegitimate governments – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the reported capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States military as a strong warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other governments it described as illegitimate across the world.

In a statement issued on Monday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the action taken against the Venezuelan leader sends a clear global message that governments lacking democratic legitimacy may no longer find refuge under the shield of sovereignty.

According to Abdullahi, while the ADC firmly upholds the principle of national sovereignty as provided under Articles 2(1) and 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, such protections should not be misused to legitimise regimes born out of electoral fraud, repression and the systematic denial of citizens’ democratic rights.

He argued that Maduro’s government had long forfeited moral and democratic legitimacy, noting that the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election was widely condemned by several Latin American countries, the European Union and international democratic bodies as deeply flawed and fraudulent.

The ADC spokesperson said the election process was characterised by the exclusion of opposition candidates, violent suppression of peaceful protests and the weaponisation of state institutions against the citizenry.

“Political opponents were barred from contesting, peaceful protests were brutally suppressed, and state institutions were deployed against the very people they were created to protect,” Abdullahi said.

He added that international governance principles meant to preserve global stability should not be invoked as a safe haven for tyranny, electoral malpractice or the sustained repression of a people’s right to freely choose their leaders.

The party also faulted the Bola Tinubu-led administration for what it described as Nigeria’s silence following the developments in Venezuela, saying the lack of response further exposes the country’s diminishing influence on the global stage.

“More than 48 hours after the dramatic developments in Venezuela, the Nigerian government has failed to issue any reaction whatsoever.

This silence is yet another indication that Nigeria, under President Tinubu, has lost both its moral voice and international standing,” Abdullahi said.

Very Nigerian.

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