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On Sunday, July 21, 2023, the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, stepped down as the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party.
Biden said his decision — following a series of blunders in the wake of his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump — was in the best interest of his party and the country.
The president’s recent gaffes reinforced concerns that the 81-year-old would ruin his party’s chances in the upcoming November election as critics raised questions about his mental and physical fitness for a second term.
The US is Nigeria’s textbook for democracy and the latest political development in the country offers some lessons Nigerian politicians can learn from.
1. Party’s internal democracy
The events that preceded Biden’s withdrawal from the race and his party members’ reactions to his embarrassing blunders underscore the strength of internal democracy in the Democratic Party.
Some Democrat lawmakers had been asking the president to drop out of the 2024 race and step aside for a younger candidate due to his obvious failings.
In the end, these party members had their way on an issue that would have piled more embarrassment on the party and the office of the US president.
The lesson here for Nigerian political parties and members is to allow rationality to prevail in party affairs and be critical of the quality of the candidates they present for elections, rather than allowing a few wealthy chieftains to buy their way to the ballots.
A party with a strong internal democracy will move with a stronger sense of purpose and that’s what the US Democratic Party members have demonstrated.
2. Love of the country
Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race signifies his love for his country. It’s an altruistic move that would not only save his party and country from further embarrassment but also increase his party’s chances in the coming election.
Any politician who loves his country and wants it to be great would, no matter how highly placed, sacrifice his ambition for his country if he’s adjudged to be physically and mentally unfit for a political office.
Instead of manipulating the people with gaffes and health issues for political gains, Nigerian politicians can deservedly attain statesmanship when they bury their selfish ambitions for the good of the country.
3. Sit-tight syndrome
If Biden is crazy about retaining power for another four years, he would not have stepped aside. The main reason political violence is rife in Nigeria during elections is that politicians want to remain in power forever.
Sadly, the sit-tight syndrome is the bane of Nigeria’s democracy because the intention for sponsoring violence can’t be to serve but to steal and oppress the masses.
If Nigerian politicians can reference American democracy whenever they feel cheated in the game, they can also copy how to be good statesmen from Biden.
4. Importance of debate
Biden’s flaws would not have been more terribly exposed if he had avoided a debate with Trump.
Apart from candidates using a debate platform to sell their ideas and agenda to citizens, it allows the people to assess the candidates and make informed political decisions about themselves and the future of their children.
If debate becomes a requirement for electoral contests, politicians who have no agenda for the people and those who have a discomfiture to hide will not present themselves for office, and if they do, the people would have already known what to do.