November 5th, 2024, marks a Trump ‘s Victory: Most African Leaders Have No Moral Justification to Congratulate historic moment for Americans as they head to the polls to elect their 47th President.
In the lead up to this event, the election was widely discussed, with Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party facing off against Donald Trump of the Republican Party.
With America’s large population, many expected that it would take days to declare a winner, drawing from experiences in African systems, particularly Nigeria.
However, this was not the case, as results were declared in real time, leading to the incumbent’s defeat.
Apart from former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who demonstrated excellent leadership by accepting defeat, it is rare in Africa to witness such a scenario.
Following Donald Trump’s victory, numerous congratulatory messages poured in, especially from African leaders.
This development has drawn criticism from many and Sani Michael Omakoji (SMO), a loyalist of OurWorldGist’s writer is not an exception to this criticism, who believes that many African leaders, particularly in Nigeria, lack the moral justification to congratulate Trump, as they do not uphold a system as transparent and efficient as America’s.
Prompted by these thoughts, he wrote an article titled Trump’s Victory: Most African Leaders Have No Moral Justification to Congratulate Him.
Let’s see what SMO has to say:
” It is hypocritical to witness many African leaders congratulating Donald Trump, the 47th President elect of the United States.
Observing the seamless operation of the American electoral system, which elected their leader in less than 24 hours, we see a stark contrast to the procedures in many African countries, particularly Nigeria.
In America, the election portal consistently updates viewers in real-time as results come in, eliminating the need for a single authority to announce the results.
In contrast, the Nigerian electoral process relies heavily on electoral returning officers at every level from polling units to wards, then to local government headquarters, and finally to state headquarters.
This approach opens the door to manipulation and the deployment of thugs by politicians, practices that are virtually nonexistent in America, where the system would render such actions ineffective.
Moreover, the American system is cost-effective, as it eliminates the need for unnecessary logistical expenses.
This well established system has been in place in America for decades, yet many African nations, particularly Nigeria, continue to operate in a completely opposite manner.
Therefore, it seems disingenuous for some African leaders to congratulate Donald Trump, who emerged through a credible system they neither believe in nor intend to emulate.
Rather than publicly congratulating him, these leaders ought to feel a sense of shame, for they are essentially mocking themselves by celebrating an electoral process they have failed to adopt.
As Nigeria approaches its 2027 presidential election, there are already concerns that election results may be manipulated against the will of the people.
Until African leaders commit to adopting efficient, transparent electoral systems like those in America and other developed countries, they risk being seen as mere pretenders to genuine democracy”.
