Venezuela crisis a cautionary tale for dictators, election riggers – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says the situation in Venezuela is a “cautionary tale to all dictators, including the supposedly elected ones, and election riggers everywhere”.

In a statement issued on Monday, Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the ADC, said the development highlights the growing global intolerance for illegitimate administrations and compromised electoral processes.

On Saturday, a US military operation authorised and overseen by President Donald Trump resulted in the arrest of Maduro.

Maduro and his wife were subsequently airlifted by helicopter to New York City to face charges of drug trafficking and arms offences.

Abdullahi said the opposition party supports the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries but noted that the street celebrations following Maduro’s arrest exposed the bankruptcy of his regime in Venezuela.

“The African Democratic Congress considers Saturday’s action by the United States Government to arrest the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife as a clear warning that sends a strong message to the Nigerian government and any other government that lacks legitimacy,” the statement reads.

“ADC strongly supports the principles of the sanctity of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of another country, as enshrined in Articles 2(1) and 2(4) of the United Nations Charter—principles that underpin global peace and order.

“Nevertheless, we maintain that these international governance doctrines, which were ordinarily 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.

“It is public knowledge that the 2024 Venezuela presidential elections were widely condemned as illegitimate and deeply flawed by nine governments across Latin America, the European Union, and international democratic institutions, all pointing to a process marked by fraud, repression, and exclusion.

“Political opponents were barred from contesting, peaceful protests were met with violence, and state institutions were weaponised against the very citizens they exist to serve.

“The net consequence of this has been mass migration at a scale that undermines regional stability.

“While the United States intervention raises serious and legitimate questions under international law, one reality cannot be ignored.

“The visible wave of public support that followed in Venezuela speaks to a deeper crisis of legitimacy of the Maduro government. When citizens pour into the streets in celebration, it reveals more than approval of an intervention; it exposes the bankruptcy of the regime that has been upended.”

The ADC spokesperson described the Nigerian government’s failure to respond—unlike other countries and global leaders— to the Venezuelan crisis as a national embarrassment.

He attributed the silence to President Bola Tinubu’s alleged personal fear that he could face a similar fate as the Venezuelan leader.

“ADC also considers it deeply embarrassing that more than 48 hours after the situation in Venezuela, the Nigerian government has yet to react in any way,” Abdullahi said.

“This silence by the APC-led Bola Tinubu administration is a further indication that Nigeria, under President Tinubu, has 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.

“Apart from the lamentable decline in Nigeria’s global and national standing under this administration, this silence reflects the government’s moral crisis, which removes its legitimacy to take a principled stand on anything.

“Let’s be clear: the Nigerian government’s choice of silence at this moment has nothing to do with neutrality. Instead, it reveals a government that lacks confidence simply because it lacks integrity.

“The African Democratic Congress stands for the principle that sovereignty must ultimately reflect the will of the people, not merely the survival of a regime.

“In Nigeria, in Venezuela, and across the world, democracy must mean more than ballots and electoralism. It must translate to freedom, fairness, and a happier life for the citizens.

“In this context, the ADC believes that the situation in Venezuela is a cautionary tale to all dictators, including the supposedly elected ones, and election riggers everywhere. The world is watching, and contrived mandates will no longer find a place to hide.”