The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned opposition parties not to get overly excited by the defeat of Kamala Harris, the incumbent vice president, in the recent U.S. presidential election. The APC emphasized that President Bola Tinubu is poised to secure a victory in the 2027 presidential elections.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 election on Wednesday, defeating Harris in a remarkable political comeback that sent shockwaves globally. At 78, Trump became the 47th U.S. president and the oldest person ever to win the White House.
In response, Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifo, hailed the U.S. election as a true test of democracy, noting that it provided valuable lessons for Nigeria, especially regarding the role of incumbency in electoral processes. Ifo pointed out how the American electorate disregarded the incumbency factor, which remains a powerful force in African, and particularly Nigerian, elections.
Similarly, the spokesman for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ladipo Johnson, questioned when Nigeria would move past the era of incumbents using power and security forces to intimidate opposition parties, acknowledging the complexity and progress of the U.S. electoral system.
However, APC National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, advised the opposition to avoid reading too much into the U.S. election outcome, emphasizing the differences between the electoral systems of the two countries. He reminded that incumbency does not always guarantee success, citing the 2015 election in which former President Muhammadu Buhari defeated incumbent Goodluck Jonathan.
Bala expressed confidence that the economic reforms implemented by President Tinubu’s administration would begin to yield results by 2026 or 2027, likely boosting the president’s popularity and making it difficult for any challenger, especially one with a history of failure, to defeat the incumbent. He assured that the APC is not complacent and is actively strategizing for the upcoming election, making it clear that the party would be prepared to meet any challenge.
“We are confident that by the time the reforms begin to bear fruit, Nigerians will rally behind the president and the party. The APC will not be caught napping,” Bala concluded.
