America has chosen Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden as its 46th president at a time of a great social upheaval – partly occasioned by the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic and in a part by a divisive four-year term of Mr. Trump.
AP and other news agencies called the race for Biden on Saturday after four days of painstaking votes count.
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It was more than an outrageous cliff-hanger race for the White House between Mr. Trump that has ruled America for almost four years and his challenger, a former vice president, Joe Biden.
Biden also secured 290 Electoral College, that’s 20 votes above the 270 votes required to win the race to the White House.
His overwhelming lead in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin gave Trump the final blow to end the heated argument of who would be the Superpower’s next president.
Trump, whom the news of the projection of Biden’s victory reached at the golf course on Saturday has shown no intention whatsoever of conceding defeat.
He tweeted: “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT! While en route to his course in Virginia.
By the way, there is more to Biden’s victory than meet the eyes, especially as a number of Republicans continue to come out in support of Trump, who is resorting to court actions, and as analysts continue to envision Biden’s America.
There is the question of where America’s democracy is heading to due to the fact that in the last 243 years of the USA democracy there have never been serious cleavages, resulting from allegations and counter-allegations, especially amongst political and economic stakeholders in the country as now.
Ditto, this has attracted the world’s attention even more and considering how Mr. Trump responds to his imminent defeat, the future of the country may well hang in the balance.
Why US Election Matters To The World?
The world has been watching keenly as Americans went the polls on Tuesday (last week) and every now and then the media is engulfed in the thick smoke of minute-by-minute updates of the closely contested election.
On why the world in a state of stupor for the US election, a Political Strategist and Communication Consultant with the International Political Resource Centre (IPRC), Dr. Abbati, said the US elections has attracted the attention of the world simply because the US owns 26% of global economy, has the largest armaments, UN veto power and global political influence.
“USA is the largest economy in the world and controls 26% of global GDP and again has 4% of global population.
“Also, the USA controls 98% of global territorial waters both sides of the Atlantic (G Friedman, 2009).They as well possess 20,000 nuclear war heads compared to Russia 3000 or China 200 (Fareed Zakaria).
“USA has been global political, economic and social interplay leader since 75 years ago and they have over 700,000 army strength but China with over 2m. USA had about 80 warship carrier compared to China’s one.”
He argued that the 2020 US elections seems to be in precarious shape of which if care is not taken will negatively affect global democratic system.
What Are Driving Forces Behind Biden’s Victory?
The US democracy is a rare system in global democratic sphere. Presidential victory in the US is not determined by the popular votes but rather “cabal-like” 538 minority voters called “Electoral College Votes”.
A presidential contestant must garner 270 or more votes to clinch the exalted seat at the White House.
From the going, Joe Biden has done his homework well. Then what are the driving forces that propelled the former vice president to victory?
Biden has steadfastly held onto one very strategy his entire democratic career. This same strategy fetched him New Castle County council in 1970 and America’s presidency in 2020. He simply capitalized on Trump’s failure.
Why Trump Lost
Dr. Abdulaziz Tijjani, an Indiana-based Nigerian public health expert said President Trump lost the election largely due to his failure to address the three most important issues affecting the lives of Americans; namely, the COVID-19 pandemic, racial inequality, and the economic crisis that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tijjani said: “The Trump administration’s attitude towards controlling the pandemic has been largely cavalier. The administration has largely added flame to fire on most issues bordering on racial inequality and injustices.
“Additionally, his failure to control COVID-19 has led to deeper economic hardships. These are the main factors and issues that made him lose some very large constituents among his traditional voters: elderly voters, suburban voters – particularly women, and working class individuals in the Midwestern states. Thus, he lost the election.”
What Biden’s Victory Means To The World, Particularly Nigeria?
Trump’s four years rule has profoundly changed America’s relationship with the world and since the projection of Mr Biden’s victory; there has been a flood of reactions from countries across the globe.
A change in administration more or less means a change in connective tissues of a country – and in America’s case that may well mean a change in the world order.
Speaking on what Biden’s victory means to the world and in particular Nigeria, an analyst on American politics, Hassan Jibia, said Biden’s victory means a change in the world order that has been covered in uncertainty, dictatorship and bullying.
According to him, Trump’s strategy in relationship with the world is nothing but that of bullying world leaders into submission to his demands as he wanted to do with China.
He said: “What Biden’s victory means for Nigeria is more cooperation in terms of international aids rendered to African countries particularly Nigeria. Also there will be assistance with regards to issues like security, which is one of the Nigeria’s biggest challenges.
“Nigeria, Niger and Chad are victims of Trump failed strategy in Libya. These countries have suffered a lot from that. The crises in the north east and other parts of Nigeria have degenerated because of the influx of weapons from Libya.”
Jibia added that Nigeria may also benefit from Biden’s victory in terms of health-related aids that have to do with maternal and child healthcare.
He stated: “The US current administration has ignored Nigeria. The hope is that the new administration will give more attention to African countries particularly Nigeria being the giant of the continent because if Nigeria succeeds the whole Africa succeeds and if it fails the continent fails.”
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