Tinubu’s economic missteps responsible for Nigeria’s exclusion from U.S trade talks – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticized the exclusion of Nigeria from high-level commercial talks being hosted by the United States at the White House this week, describing it as a direct consequence of President Bola Tinubu’s economic and diplomatic failures.

In a press statement issued Tuesday, July 8, 2025, by the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the United States’ decision to invite the Presidents of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal—while bypassing Africa’s largest economy—is a stark indictment of the Tinubu administration’s leadership.

According to the party, the Biden administration’s emphasis on partnering with countries that have shown “the ability and willingness to help themselves” reflects Nigeria’s deteriorating credibility under the All Progressives Congress (APC) government.

“Although we are Africa’s largest economy with the biggest consumer market and most influential diaspora, the U.S. chose to engage countries whose combined GDP is a fraction of ours. This shows that in international relations, size means nothing without leadership, transparency, and efficiency,” the statement read.

The ADC lamented that only a few years ago, such a gathering without Nigeria would have been unthinkable, asserting that Nigeria has lost its standing as a regional and continental leader.

The party also criticized Nigeria’s participation in BRICS, warning that the alignment has exposed the country to punitive measures, including a looming 10% tariff threat by former U.S. President Donald Trump. While not opposing BRICS in principle, the ADC argued that Nigeria was now “punching below its weight.”

Citing the example of President Tinubu’s prolonged visit to the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia, the statement questioned the administration’s foreign policy priorities and accused it of reducing Nigeria’s stature to that of “a backwater participant” in global diplomacy.

The party stressed that under the APC, Nigeria has not only lost opportunities for economic advancement but is now sidelined at critical global platforms where decisions that could transform economies are being made.

The ADC concluded by urging Nigerians to “reject the future the APC seeks to impose” and demand a leadership that is globally respected and economically competent.

Tinubu’s economic missteps responsible for Nigeria’s exclusion from U.S trade talks – ADC