The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in a statement on Tuesday blamed President Bola Tinubu’s administration for Nigeria’s exclusion from high-level commercial talks between the United States and five African countries at the White House this week.
The statement described Nigeria’s absence as a “damning international indictment” of the government’s poor handling of the economy and weak foreign policy.
ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said that Nigeria, despite being Africa’s largest economy and consumer market, was ignored in favour of smaller countries like Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal.
“Although we are Africa’s largest economy, with the largest consumer market and the continent’s most influential diaspora, the United States chose to bypass us in favour of nations whose combined GDP is only a fraction of ours,” Abdullahi said.
The US government explained that the invitations went to countries that had demonstrated “the ability and willingness to help themselves,” a standard the ADC believes directly reflects Nigeria’s current leadership failures under the All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
“In plain terms, this means Nigeria is no longer taken seriously under President Tinubu,” he added.
The ADC said Nigeria’s global reputation is dwindling, citing recent threats by US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs due to Nigeria’s BRICS membership, and the country’s declining influence in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“Only a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable for such a meeting to hold without Nigeria. This shows just how far our global standing has declined under this administration,” the statement said.
