Former Nigerian Foreign Minister Bolaji Akinyemi has predicted that Vice President Kamala Harris will pose a significant challenge to Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Akinyemi expressed confidence in Harris’s capabilities and potential to secure the Democratic nomination.
The Explainer reported that President Joe Biden has shelved his re-election bid, bowing to pressure from fellow Democrats who called for his replacement due to concerns over his apparent ill-health and recent debate performance with Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump. On Sunday, President Biden endorsed Kamala Harris in his announcement.
“President Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party is a good choice, not necessarily because of her own character but because she is the Vice President,” Akinyemi stated.
The veteran diplomat warned against underestimating Harris’s political prowess, citing her background as a lawyer and former attorney general.
He said, “Kamala Harris is going to be a hard nut for Trump to crack, be careful of lawyers, especially someone who has been an attorney general and prosecutor. She will take you to pieces with the way she will put her own questions and the way she will use you to wipe the floor.”
Akinyemi highlighted Harris’s previous electoral success, noting, “She won the Senate seat by 60% from California when she ran, so you see that she is not an easy nut to crack.”
Acknowledging the unpredictable nature of the upcoming election, Akinyemi refrained from making definitive predictions. “We have a very unusual situation in our hands, and it’s no use making a prediction. All predictions will just be thinking out of the box,” he cautioned.
The former minister praised Harris’s approach following her nomination, stating, “Harris has not put on any sense of triumphalism after Biden anointed her. She said in that acceptance speech that she is not going to take the convention for granted and will work hard to get the support of the delegates.”
Akinyemi identified key issues that could work in Harris’s favor, particularly abortion rights. “Harris has great issues to run with, one being the abortion case. It’s a gold case for a woman to make in a way that Biden could not. Harris would be able to gather the votes of the women who had the right to control their body,” he noted.
Reflecting on Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race, Akinyemi commended the president’s actions as “honorable,” drawing parallels to former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s legacy.
Despite the challenges Harris may face, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the short notice of her nomination, Akinyemi expressed optimism about her chances. “If I’m to put my money on it, I will put my money on Harris to win the presidential election,” he declared.
The former minister also noted the positive financial response to Harris’s nomination, stating, “The fact that 30 million and above has poured in since the anointing of Harris shows that at least the donors are not hostile towards her.”
The Explainer gthered that, ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s online fundraising platform, has reported an unprecedented surge in donations following Vice President Kamala Harris’ entry into the 2024 presidential race.
ActBlue announced in a statement, “As of 9pm ET, grassroots supporters have raised $46.7 million through ActBlue following Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign launch. This has been the biggest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle. Small-dollar donors are fired up and ready to take on this election.”
The influx of donations comes on the heels of President Joe Biden’s decision to exit the race, a move that followed weeks of pressure from top Democratic donors who had been calling for his withdrawal after a disappointing debate performance last month.
Vice President Harris, in announcing her bid for the Democratic nomination, stated, “I vow to earn and win the Democratic nomination and do everything in my power to beat Donald Trump.”
