The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu of overseeing a rudderless foreign policy, describing the administration’s failure to respond to the latest United States travel advisory as a “national embarrassment.”
In a statement on Thursday, Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the ADC, said the U.S. government’s decision to place Nigeria on Level 3: “Reconsider Travel” is a damning indictment of the Tinubu administration’s failure to protect citizens and uphold the country’s image abroad.
The party cited the absence of Nigerian ambassadors in key world capitals as evidence that Nigeria has become “voiceless” under Tinubu.
Part of the statement read: “The latest travel advisory from the United States Government, which now classifies Nigeria as a Level 3 destination, is another public indictment of this government’s failure.
“At a time when our image is under assault and foreign confidence in our systems is plummeting, Nigeria is voiceless at the world’s most important tables thanks to the Tinubu administration.
“Not even during the civil war did Nigeria fail to have ambassadors in place for this long.”
The party said the U.S. advisory exposed Nigeria’s deteriorating healthcare and security sectors, noting that foreigners are being warned to purchase evacuation insurance before visiting.
“What kind of country are we becoming? One where a visitor must plan for emergency airlift before stepping off the plane?” it asked.
The ADC also faulted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for allegedly deflecting blame under the guise of ongoing reforms, adding that diplomatic appointments are too crucial to be trivialised.
The party stated: “Serious governments don’t use reforms as excuses to stop governing. Since our ambassadors were recalled in October 2023, five of the G7 countries have changed their leaders.
“Yet, Nigeria has had no high-level diplomat in place to engage their new administrations to secure our interests.
“This is not just a missed opportunity—it is an outright diplomatic failure.”
The ADC said the Tinubu government cannot continue to hide behind rhetoric about merit and integrity when its record on appointments so far shows otherwise.
“This is what happens when a government treats diplomacy as a side hustle.
“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 party said.
The party urged the federal government to act swiftly to restore Nigeria’s standing on the global stage.
