Africans are astonished at the disarray around the US seat of power — especially those Africans familiar with the playbooks of leaders who refuse to concede defeat, who carry out coups or who incite political violence.
The continent’s leaders have so far stayed mute on Wednesday’s events in Washington, which saw Trump supporters storm the Capitol building.
But former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who famously made a phone call to concede his defeat and congratulate his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, in what was an unprecedented move for the country, gave Trump a stern reprimand.
Trump could be an African leader
As for average Africans, many seemed unable to resist having a little fun at the expense of the outgoing US president.
“Trump should just pull off his mask and tell us which African country he’s from,” a Twitter user in Zambia remarked.
Trump never visited the continent but famously called African nations “sh**hole countries” in 2018. He also made unkind comments about prospective immigrants to the US from Nigeria.
Some Nigerians drew parallels to what has happened in their own country, which is notorious for election disputes.
Unlike Goodluck Jonathan, most often losers don’t accept defeat, meaning many election results are contested in court.
As a result, Nigerians look enviously to the US as a country with a exemplary transition system.
Not any more, though.
Nigerian Salihu Yakubu expressed surprise to DW’s Hausa service that “America’s present democracy is no different to Africa’s
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