In the months leading to the US presidential election on November 3, 2020, I read and heard so many of my people, especially in Nigeria, made the US election personal. I have read extensive articles from certain prominent Nigerians in Nigeria who cannot vote in the US election. I have seen their social media postings which are so derogatory and hypocritical at times. Their articles and social media postings most times are full of untruths, uncouth language and holier-than-thou postures. These people have tagged themselves “Trumpians” or lifelong supporters of Mr. Donald J Trump. It is insane to see Nigerians in Nigeria voiced so much support for a man whose actions do not directly affect them yet abandon their responsibilities as citizens of Nigeria residing in Nigeria. It is amazing how so many Nigerians in Nigeria, including the “Christians” and their pastors became the most ardent supporters of Mr. Trump and even descended so low in prophesying falsehood. Many prophesied that they see Mr. Trump win a second term and their congregations bought into the lie and made themselves susceptible to the manipulations of false prophecies.
One of such individuals in Nigeria is Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode. Mr. Kayode so much carry the cross of Donald Trump on his head and fantasize in his Trumpian world that the election of November 3 was rigged and no matter what happens, Mr. Trump will be declared the winner and will be re-inaugurated on January 20, 2021. Such is a malaria induced dream of Mr. Kayode. He descended so low in calling people lunatics and “not capable of reading more than three lines on any given day or any given topic”. It is not only insulting but demeaning to reduce fellow men and women to the level of intellectual imbecility and arrogate to himself the sole power of intellect and comprehension. It is arrogance and hypocrisy to call into question other people’s mental capacity when you have not shown anything better. It is one thing to pen eloquently written pieces but it is entirely something else to live the life of your writings. I do not believe Mr. Kayode’s life reflects what he writes. Being Oxford educated does not necessarily translate to brilliance. There are so many who went to first rated universities but graduated from the lowest rung of their class. I hope Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode does not belong to that group. His utterances and writings should be guarded now especially as his preferred candidate has been found wanting in the eyes of United States laws, impeached the second time and disgraced out of office.
Back to the election, today, January 20, 2021, sees President-Elect Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. and Vice-President-Elect Kamala Devi Harris inaugurated and sworn-in as the 46th. President and Vice-President of the United States of America. What has become of all the false hope and lies that the holier-than-thou supporters of Trump supporters in Nigeria? It is foolhardy for my brothers and sisters in Nigeria, who do not have the power to vote in the US election to spend sleepless nights worrying about Donald Trump. It was unfathomable to read abuses rained on anyone who dared to voice his or her support for Joe Biden. Joe Biden supporters were and are still labeled anti-Christ and LGBT-Q supporters. It baffles me when my Nigerian brothers and sisters in Nigeria voices are louder than the Americans who can actually vote. I termed this “taking Panadol for someone else’s headache”. As much as the actions of America’s President has a reverberating effect around the world, this does not amount to Nigerians in Nigeria abandoning their internal affairs and civic responsibilities and concentrating on the internal affairs of other nations. If only Nigerians who so much concerned themselves in the US election have invested as much time and energy in voting during the Nigeria election and other internal affairs, Nigeria would not have the corrupt managers that have managed and are still managing the affairs of Nigeria. Some are good at criticizing their ways to gain position and when put in position of authority, they are found grossly wanting.
The man my Nigerian brothers and sisters in Nigeria were sticking their neck out for do not care about them but they romance themselves in believing that Mr. Trump loves Nigeria and its people. Mr. Trump hates black people, especially Nigerians. He hates the fact that Nigerians are independent minded people, successful in anything they touch and overtly over-achievers. He hates the fact that Nigerians in the United States are the most educated immigrants in the United States and excel in every sector. Mr. Trump’s hate for Nigerians drove him to concoct falsehood against Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of Africa Development Bank (AfDB) in an attempt to remove him as the President of the bank. Mr. Trump did not stop at that; he went further to block Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from becoming the 7th. Director-General of the World Trade Organization after she had garnered support from 163 countries out of 164. In February 2020, Mr. Trump banned Nigerian immigrants from entering the United States and further set unattainable conditions on Nigerians traveling to the United States as visitors. To my people, ignorance is not an excuse to follow and support blindly.
It is not accidental that more than 80 million Americans rejected Mr. Donald J Trump on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 because he is toxic. He lies incessantly. He is manipulative, incompetent, womanizing, racist, narcissistic, bullish, undemocratic and unchristian. Mr. Trump lies in our faces almost on a daily basis in the hope that his lies will become truths. He led many to believe in his lies, including some of our “well educated and pseudo-intellectual” Nigerian commentators. He manipulated thousands of his gullible supporters to believe that come January 20, 2021, he will be returned to the White House. He goaded them to storm the US Capitol and kill the sitting Vice- President, Mr. Pence, for not doing his bidding on Wednesday, January 6. He tried to overturn a duly elected president by inciting a mob to stop a constitutional process. He showed his undemocratic streaks in bullying Georgia State Secretary of State, Mr. Brad Raffensperger, on Saturday, January 2, 2021 to find 11, 780 votes to overturn the election of Mr. Joe Bidden. He hoodwinked many, including my Nigerian brothers and sisters that he is fighting the cause of Christians even when he is not known to belong to any church, not associated with any known pastor as his pastor yet Nigerian pastors were prophesying in droves about Mr. Trump’s ascension to the throne the second time. These were lies from the pit of hell. His incompetence is incomparable and unlike anything the United States had ever witnessed. As you read this, the United States of America would have surpassed 400, 00 deaths as a result of COVID-19. When the number of deaths is compared to other developed nations, the United States is made to look like a third world nation. Mr. Trump made Nigeria look like a well-managed and organized nation in the management of this pandemic.
January 20, 2021 is a new dawn, a new beginning. The light will shine again on the United States of America and on the world. Nigerians in the United States reclaim their rightful place as the beacon of hope, the shining light in the affairs of the United States. President Joseph R Biden has shown us that the color of our skin is not a barrier to how high we can fly. He has demonstrated that Nigerian intellect is valued and that our individual successes are also America’s successes. This is the reason President Joseph Biden has included many Nigerians to serve in his administration unlike Mr. Trump who discarded us like a piece of dirty rag. Read these names and read them loud: Adewale Adeyemo – Deputy Treasury Secretary, Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo – White House counsel and Osaremen Okolo – Member, Biden’s COVID-19 Respond team. I believe more are in the works. And this is President Joseph Robinette Biden of our dream.
Patrick K Idima writes from Massachusetts, USA.