Most Africans are familiar with election disputes but not when it involves the world’s most famous democracy- the United States where the incumbent is heading for defeat but not without disputing the outcome.
With the Democratic party candidate Joe Biden in the lead for the While House and the Republican incumbent Donald Trump trailing in his wake, the outcome of the polls look set to go to the wire and trigger a hot dispute at the US courts.
Africans who had always found many things fascinating about the United States are looking on astounded, as the principals in this election soap opera act like politicians on the continent.
The reaction in Africa has been from disbelief, bemusement and derision.
“This is election madness’ some of them say, hardly feeling they are using the right words to capture the exact atmosphere attending to the election scenario unfolding in America.
“Don’t forget this is the world’s foremost exponent of democracy we are talking about” a Gambian political commentator who wishes to remain anonymous observes.
He says Trump’s allegations of election fraud robbing him of victory is a sure sign that American democracy is grossly overrated.
“It is not sending the right signals to the rest of the world particularly Africa about how eventual losers should behave when staring defeat in the face” he adds.
Cries of foul play were all too familiar in recent presidential elections in three African countries namely Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania and Guinea (Conakry).
With the exception of Cote d’Ivoire, the losing candidates in Tanzania and Guinea had refused to concede to the victors, alleging widespread irregularities including ballot-stuffing.
In all three countries, anti-government movements had taken to the streets, protesting the that incumbents Alassane Ouattara (Cote d’Ivoire) and Alpha Conde (Guinea) had exhausted their two five-year terms from a constitutional perspective.
As the election saga drags on in the United States, Trump and his supporters are calling for the vote counting to stop in some areas where his lead over Biden has been narrowing while demanding that it be maintained in others where he appears to be losing.
This is providing a lot of cannon fodder for Africans fixated with the election to mock not only Donald Trump but US democracy in general.
“It’s a political circus” says one observer in Nigeria.
With the plot for a post-electoral dispute thickening by the hour, former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan who incidentally lost power to Muhammadu Buhari in a 2015 election, has words of wisdom for Trump to chew on.
In a tweet earlier on Friday, Jonathan writes: “Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any citizen. It is better to gain honour at the cost of losing power, than to gain power at the cost of losing honour. At any point in time, the power of love should matter more than the love of power. This is my philosophy. I have lived it. It has brought great peace to both my beloved nation and I. And I recommend it to all leaders facing challenging situations, either in government, or at the polls, or even in their dealings with fellow political actors. GEJ”.
Writing on her Facebook page Fatou Badjie, a Gambian gender activist living in the United Kingdom calls on Trump to be man enough to concede defeat if the election does not go his way.
She adds:”By the time this turmoil is over in the US, Trump will enhance our understanding of how a narcissist’s mind works. We know that in his mind, it’s all about him. We also know that he fears losing”.
With Joe Biden on course to win both the popular vote and electoral college votes, a string of lawsuits is expected in the days and weeks by the Trump camp to contest the outcome.
Developing story
WN/as/APA