Buhari's Ministers Disagree on Implications of Trump's Victory for Nigeria

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Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

Two ministers in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari wednesday expressed divergent views on the implication of the victory of the United States’ President-elect, Mr Donald Trump, for Nigeria.

The two ministers who spoke with State House correspondents on the victory of Trump are the Minister for Agriculture Audu Ogbeh and that of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali .

Ogbeh described Trump as a capitalist that exploited the American system and turned around to destroy it; while Dan-Ali said Nigeria had to accept his victory and forge ahead.

Ogbeh said he was shocked by Trump’s victory and said that Nigeria might have to re-tune and re-tool her foreign policy should Nigerians come under any pressure under Trump’s leadership.

Ogbeh said: “I am in a bit of shock, but we are witnessing some very dramatic changes in the world and I think some of these things began many years ago. The current economic theory ravaging the world is now reaching the poor and the ordinary people. It is causing a lot of stress. Brexit happened, America has done this now.

“Many other countries are going to have near extremism ruling the minds of people. Trump’s language before the elections definitely did not endear him to people. It scared a lot of people and yet he got this massive support which means there is something fundamentally wrong and some of us have been complaining even here for 30 years. The economic theories we are practising are hurting too many people and so there is a lot of anger and people are looking for a way to express it.”