The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned opposition parties not to get too excited over the defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris, the United States presidential election, saying President Bola Tinubu would sweep the poll again in 2027.
Former President Donald Trump was announced as the winner of the US poll on Wednesday, defeating Harris in a stunning political comeback that sent shockwaves across the world.
The 78-year-old business mogul became the 47th president and the oldest person ever to win the White House.
Reacting, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Obiora Ifo, described the US election, which was monitored globally, as a true test of democracy.
While stating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has a lot to learn from the just concluded poll, Ifoh said it was interesting to see how the American voting public ignored the incumbency factor, which is still a ‘big deal’ in Africa, and specifically Nigeria’s, election system.
Also, the spokesman for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ladipo Johnson said though the US electoral system is complex and has come a long way, wondering when Nigeria would end the era of tight-tight leaders using the power of incumbency and security apparatus to intimidate opposition could stop.
But APC’s National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim warned the opposition not to get carried away with the outcome of the US election, saying the electoral processes between the two countries are different.
Bala, who spoke with The PUNCH in an interview, stated that the incumbency factor doesn’t always work where the people speak with one voice as witnessed in the victory of former President Muhammadu Buhari over the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
The APC spokesman expressed conviction that by the time Nigerians begin to harvest the reward of the economic reforms put in place by the president, they would applaud and urge him to continue.
While stating that the party is not losing sleep over the threat, the politician warned that the affairs of the country would not be left in the hands of the opposition, many of whom were still struggling with leadership crisis.
He said, “With the way and manner this administration of APC is working assiduously, bringing in new reforms and changes that are painful initially, we will reap the gains and fruits in the long run.
“We expect to start seeing the fruits of these reforms right around the time of the election. That should be around 2026 and 2027. It is at that time people will start clapping for the party and the president.
“It will be almost impossible for someone to come from the outside, particularly an outsider that has failed the country before; an outsider that cannot contain its own crisis, to think of defeating the incumbent. It will be very difficult. The APC and the president are very much aware of this expectation and shenanigans of the opposition.
“But it is not to say that the party and the president are sleeping. No, they are strategising ahead. So, when we get to the bridge, we will see who have the strongest stride to cross it. And I assure you, the APC will not be found nothing. It will not be caught napping”.
