US ELECTIONS: Tinubu will win 2027 election – APC

The ruling All Progressives Congress has warned opposition parties in the country not to get too excited over the defeat of Kamala Harris, an incumbent vice president in the United States presidential election, saying President Bola Tinubu will 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, Obiora Ifo, described the US election, which was monitored globally, as a true test of democracy.

While stating the Independent National Electoral Commission 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 reacting, the spokesman for the New Nigeria Peoples Party, 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 the National Publicity Director of the APC, 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 our correspondent 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.”Punch…

President Bola Tinubu is now in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit, which will focus on the current situation in the Middle East.

The presidential air plane landed at the King Abdulaziz International airport at about ten a.m local time.

President Tinubu was received on arrival by a delegation led by the deputy governor of Riyadh, Prince Mohammed Abdurrahman.

The Riyadh Summit is scheduled to commence tomorrow Monday, November 11, 2024.

A statement by the presidential adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga indicates that the event is at the instance of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

During the summit, President Tinubu is expected to address the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict, emphasising Nigeria’s strong call for an immediate ceasefire and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution.

Nigeria will also advocate for renewed efforts to revive the two-state solution as a pathway to lasting peace in the region.

The president is expected to return after the conclusion of the summit.

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has revealed that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), will soon regain his freedom.

The governor made the disclosure while speaking during a monthly media chat at the Government House Banquet Hall in Umuahia.

Governor Otti revealed ongoing discussions with the presidency about Kanu’s continued detention. He, however, shied away from revealing specific details, stressing that sensitive steps are being taken behind the scenes.

The Abia State-born activist has been a vocal advocate for Biafra’s secession and independence from Nigeria. He has remained in prison since his re-arrest in 2021.