Nigerian Politician Slams US for Championing Democracy Abroad While Failing at Home

Reflecting on the reasons behind Trump’s victory, Adamu Garba II, a chieftain of Nigeria's ruling All Progressive Congress and former presidential aspirant, points to what he sees as widespread dissatisfaction among Americans with the current political establishment.

The Nigerian politician describes it as a “rejection of entrenchment” by powerful interest groups.

“Trump’s victory is, in part, a response to Americans wanting stronger borders, an independent economy, and greater national focus, rather than what they view as control by an invisible deep state structure,” he says.

In light of the events leading up to the election, such as the circumstances surrounding Harris' selection to represent the Democrats, Garba II describes American democracy as flawed. He advocates for US non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, which he deems more democratic than the North American state.

“I believe that the US democracy itself in general needs to stop talking to the others about how they should conduct their democratic affairs and come home to reform their internal structural deficits so that they can actually be the true champions of democracy as they claim to be. But as it is now, there are several countries that are much more democratic in their process of emerging [selecting] of a presidential candidate than the way it happened, especially within the Democratic Party with the emergence of Kamala Harris,” he stresses.

However, Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, the head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Abuja, in an interview with a Sputnik Africa correspondent, believes that “whatever policy the US shall have for Africa is not actually meaningful,” further explaining that Africans are less interested in the outcome of US elections.

“There is not any meaningful policy by Trump or even by Kamala [Harris] for Africa. They have no policy framework for Africa. Kamala is still on as vice president to Biden. We have not seen anything for Africa,” he recalls.

Both experts agree that the Trump administration is likely to focus on de-escalating conflicts, particularly in Gaza and Ukraine. Adamu II believes that while Trump holds a pro-Israel stance, he is unlikely to support the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting Gaza’s civilians. Professor Ibrahim, meanwhile, suggests that resolving the Ukrainian conflict could pave the way for easing other global tensions, but stresses that this will require addressing Russia’s legitimate interests.

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