The vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has conceded defeat to the Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 United States Presidential election held on Tuesday.
As soon as Trump gained an unassailable lead with 266 Electoral College votes – four short of the 270 threshold – Trump mounted the victory podium to address his supporters at Palm Beach, Florida from around 8:00am Nigerian time.
His victory speech was beamed live by all major television networks to homes and offices around the world.
Hours after Trump’s speech, Harris made a phone call to him to concede defeat, thereby ending the bitterly fought battle for the U.S. top job.
An unnamed aide of Harris explained that Harris, who in her capacity as vice-president serves also as Senate President, emphasised the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans.
She will in her capacity as Senate President preside over the ratification of the December vote by the Electoral College which will seal Trump’s victory.
The President-elect will be sworn-in on January 20.
Trump secured the White House with a decisive 292 electoral votes. Harris garnered 226 electoral votes.
Trump won 50.98% of the popular vote, totaling 72,937,315 ballots cast in his favor. Trump won five swing states: Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. He also maintained leads in Arizona, with 51.93%, and in Nevada, with 51.59% as of the time of this report.
Harris, his primary rival, received 67,990,411 votes, accounting for 47.52% of the vote.
Apart from President Tinubu, other world leaders such as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu, French President Emmanuel Macron; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; German Chancellor Olaf Scholz; Turkish President Recep Erdogan, Ukranian President Velodymyr Zelensky, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish President Andrzei Duda greeted Trump.
While Iran was indifferent about Trump’s second return to the White House as the 47th US President, China and Russia simply pledged cooperation with the President-elect.
The 78-year-old business mogul in his victory speech, unfolded his agenda. He said: ‘’America needs help badly’’ to heal and rebound economically.
He pledged that his administration would focus on securing US borders and restoring economic stability.
Trump pulled off his ‘magnificent victory’ on a night reminiscent of 2016, sweeping the key swing states of North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania to beat Democratic Party candidate Harris.
In his congratulatory message, President Tinubu expressed optimism about future relations between Nigeria and the U.S. under Trump’s renewed leadership.
Tinubu highlighted the potential for enhanced economic cooperation, peace and collaborative responses to global challenges shared by both nations.
“Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace, and address global challenges that affect our citizens,” he said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The President expressed confidence that Trump’s return to the White House would mark the start of a mutually beneficial era of partnerships between Africa and the US.
The statement partly reads: “President Bola Tinubu extends his heartfelt congratulations to President Donald Trump on his re-election as the 47th President of the United States of America.
“President Tinubu looks forward to strengthening the ties between Nigeria and the United States amid the complex challenges and opportunities of the contemporary world.
“According to President Tinubu, Trump’s victory reflects the trust and confidence the American people have placed in his leadership. He congratulates them on their commitment to democracy.
“President Tinubu believes that, given President Trump’s experience as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, his return to the White House as the 47th president will usher in an era of earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States.
“Acknowledging the United States’ influence, power, and position in determining the trend and course of global events, the Nigerian leader trusts that President Trump will bring the world closer to peace and prosperity.”
Trump, in a spirited victory speech, addressed a crowd of jubilant supporters, pledging to unite the country and address urgent national challenges.
Surrounded by his family members, Vice President-elect JD Vance, and supporters, Trump spoke of the need to “heal” and strengthen the nation.
“We are going to fix everything about our country. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly,” the Associated quoted him as saying.
Calling his win a “movement like nobody has ever seen before,” Trump acknowledged the historic significance of his return to the White House.
“This will truly be the golden age of America,” he said, promising to work toward a “strong, safe, and prosperous” future.
He pointed out Republican wins in Senate races across several states, including Ohio and Texas, which he attributed to the strength of the “MAGA movement.”
The President-elect concluded by thanking his family, supporters, and Vance, expressing optimism about the next four years.
“We’re going to make this the greatest country in the world again,” Trump said, vowing to uphold border security and encourage legal immigration.
Promising to lead an era of “hope and unity,” he pledged to fulfill his commitment to the American people.
By the victory, the 78-year-old becomes the first president in over 130 years – and only the second in history – to win a non-consecutive second term.
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