Former Member, Nigeria House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma has made a call for Nigeria self-reliance, cautioning Nigerians not to expect Trump to solve Nigeria’s problems.
In a recent interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday, while discussing the potential implications of a Trump presidency for Nigeria and Africa, Agbonayinma emphasised on the need for Nigerians to not rely on external leaders, like President-elect Donald Trump, to solve the country’s problems.
“We need to build our own institution, we need to build our home base and our people,” Agbonayinma said, “If you are expecting that president Donald Trump being elected will be the one that will solve Nigeria’s problem, Nigerians will have to be ready to solve their own problem. If we have any appeal or request, having a good bilateral relationship, all these are all welcomed. But we must put our house in order, Nigerians must come together to build a better Nigeria.”
He reiterated that President-elect Donald Trump’s policies will prioritise America, underscoring the impact of previous administrations’ failures on Nigeria.
“Donald Trump will be focused on building America first because America has been bastardised. He will come and do the necessary because of the failure of Obama, Biden and Kamala Harris, their failure is what brought us to where we are. Whatever affect America, affects Nigeria.”
Agbonayinma also defended Trump against accusations of racism, asserting, “He means well…What happened on the issue of Donald Trump will teach a lot of media outlets a big lesson,” arguing that mainstream media unfairly portrayed Trump negatively. He also claimed that under Trump’s presidency, conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war might have been avoided, due to Trump’s emphasis on “peaceful coexistence.”
Meanwhile, former Delta State Commissioner and Public Policy Analyst and Author, Magnus Onyibe also opined his stance on the “changed order” that Trump’s leadership could bring to global democracy. He argued that Trump’s presidency represents a shift in American politics, with a focus on challenging long-standing structures.
“Trump has come to drain the swamp,” Onyibe stated, adding that “things are going to be done differently.” He believes that the obstacles Trump faced were imposed by established figures within American politics, but noted, “It was clear that Americans wanted Trump back.”
When asked why African leaders align with the US Democratic Party, Onyibe pointed to a symbolic connection, especially regarding former US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama. Onyibe described Harris’s support among Black Americans, saying,
“The Black women just gravitated towards her because they have the same skin color and they are of the same gender.”
However, Onyibe also highlighted that while Obama’s election was historically significant, he “didn’t do anything for Africa,” and questioned whether Harris would have prioritised African interests either.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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