Prominent Nigerian politicians and pundits have responded to Biden’s announcement that he would be stepping aside for health reasons, underscoring the interconnectedness of world politics.
In response to Biden’s withdrawal from the US presidential contest, Omoyele Yele Sowore, a former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in Nigeria, made fun of President Bola Tinubu.
Through his X account, the activist brought attention to the June 12, 2024, Democracy Day event in which President Tinubu stumbled and fell from his presidential van.
Former lawmaker Senator Shehu also referenced his earlier prediction on July 3, 2024, via X, in which he wrote, “Joe Biden will eventually quit,” and his reference quote read, “It happened.”
Bello El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State governor and member of the House of Representatives, described Biden’s move as morally correct.
Reacting via X, he wrote, “President Biden did the right thing from an ethical and moral point of view. The seat you occupy should never come ahead of your capacity to serve the people that put you there.”
Reno Omokri, meanwhile, connected the scenario to the 2023 presidential election and pointed out that Labour Party candidate Peter Obi ought to have withdrawn, just like Biden did.
He said, “Joe Biden has just done what Peter Obi ought to have done in 2023. Peter Obi had no chance in 2023 and has even less of a chance in 2027 after his misadventure, where he lied that a subsisting court verdict ordered the release of Nnamdi Kanu and his leaked ‘Yes Daddy’ audio.
“Peter Obi’s only function in 2023 was as an ungrateful character, blinded by ambition, who chose to bite the hand that fed him, which led him to contest against Waziri Atiku Abubakar and, by so doing, divided the opposition vote. If Obi had not contested the #NigerianElections2023, Atiku would have won.”
Read the full Reno Omokri statement here
While some Nigerians applauded Biden’s decision, others conjectured about potential implications for international relations and the forthcoming U.S. elections.
As the Democratic Party’s new presidential contender, Vice President Kamala Harris has received the endorsement of President Biden in the meantime.
The circumstances are still fluid; Biden’s resignation was a momentous event in world politics and had a profound impact on Nigerian politics.
