The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has slammed Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what it described as a gross failure in governance and foreign policy, following a damning travel advisory issued by the United States Government against Nigeria.
In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused Tinubu’s administration of turning diplomacy into a “side hustle” and neglecting Nigeria’s image abroad while failing to secure lives at home.
The U.S. Department of State had earlier updated its Nigeria travel advisory to Level 3—”Reconsider Travel”—citing widespread insecurity, terrorism, kidnapping, and the collapse of basic health services. The ADC said the advisory represents not just a diplomatic embarrassment but a “national humiliation” that reflects how far the country has fallen under Tinubu’s watch.
“We are absent where we must be present. We are silent where we should be persuasive. We seem to be leaderless at home and invisible abroad,” the statement read.
The party expressed deep concern over the prolonged absence of Nigerian ambassadors in strategic countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France—a situation it said has created a vacuum in Nigeria’s global engagement and weakened its diplomatic credibility. “This is what happens when a government treats diplomacy as a side hustle,” the party said. “For a country as important as Nigeria, this continued vacuum in our foreign missions is unacceptable and damaging.”
The U.S. advisory had also drawn attention to Nigeria’s deteriorating healthcare system, warning American travelers to consider evacuation insurance because of the lack of medical supplies and the unreliability of emergency services. The ADC noted that such statements from global powers should serve as a wake-up call for the Nigerian government, rather than be waved away by officials. “It is disgraceful that a country of over 200 million people cannot guarantee basic emergency services. This advisory is not only about foreign visitors—it is a mirror held up to the faces of Nigerians,” the party said.
The ADC also criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for attempting to shift blame by citing internal reforms as the reason for the delay in appointing new ambassadors, after all envoys were recalled in October 2023. The party questioned why no appointments had been made nearly a year later, despite reports that a list of nominees had been submitted to the president. “Which is it—internal reforms or presidential delay? Either way, it shows incompetence and disinterest in serious governance,” the statement added.
Referring to Tinubu’s frequent promises of merit-based appointments, the ADC said such claims are contradicted by his track record. “If this administration truly believes in competence, then it should stop talking and start acting,” it said.
The party concluded by urging Tinubu to take full responsibility for Nigeria’s domestic chaos and international irrelevance, warning that global partners are taking note of the government’s silence and inaction.
