By EMMANUEL OGEBE, Washington, USA

? ?I?m proud of Nigerians, Tinubu not a convicted felon?, lawyer shades American troll

A year ago, I penned the following:

?I departed Nigeria?s Supreme Court as it presided over what was in effect the valedictory session in memory of the late republic of Nigeria and its similarly deceased constitution and democracy.?

Overnight, the moral map of America was redrawn. It has no border, boundary or wall. America has tossed its moral compass to a morass.

In one night, USA repudiated its values, history, reputation. Evil won as a convicted megalomaniac was elected to rule the country whose constitution he had tried to overthrow less than four years ago.

The system did not work ? it failed! Convicted felons don?t contest for president anywhere in the world.

The American justice system did not fail to disappoint once again redeeming its image as the knee on the neck of the common man and the last hoax of privileged races/classes.

Donald Trump successfully conquered the American nation, its intelligence agencies, intellectuals, academics, constitution, justice system and jurists after a 4-year battle.

Truly parents can now tell their children, ?if you?re twice impeached, steal state secrets, incite insurrection against your country, convicted for fraud to influence elections and found liable for sexual assault, you can be a leader of America and do it all over again.?

Analysts say the New York court won?t jail Trump on Nov 22. There?s no legal basis for him not to be sentenced except a racist system protecting its own. That?s a terrible precedent! Failing to jail him after a 34 count felony conviction because he won an election sends a wrong message ? that criminals should run for office as a means of obtaining immunity from prosecution and absolution from conviction!

News reports say Special Counsel Jack Smith is winding down Trump?s state secrets theft & insurrection cases because he can?t prosecute a ?sitting president?. However, he?s not president yet and such an abandonment is cowardly, unlawful and a gross waste and abuse of the millions it cost taxpayers to pay for this investigation. To be clear, stealing classified documents is a constitutional disqualification from holding office.

?It is not only the constitution that died today. Our moral values and culture as a society died with it. The very soul of the nation has been condemned to death row in (this) mass casualty fatality.?

I wrote the above in October 2023 after Nigeria?s Supreme Court affirmed the worst election in the country?s history allowing a man of dubious identity with forged documents to the presidency but today the sentiment is the same for America.

My condolences go to America?s youth who now see a country where it is a liability to be good and live right as a prosecutor but a profitable enterprise to do wrong and run as a felon.

Incidentally a racist tried to troll me online for my commentary on Trump. This was the exchange:

Mildred: Emmanuel Ogebe as a Nigerian citizen maybe you should clean up the Nigerian government.

Emmanuel Ogebe: Mildred right now their president is an ex-Chicago drug mafia accountant whom DOJ didn?t prosecute not a convicted felon, so Nigeria is ahead. Thanks

The truth of the matter is that for all his ills, Tinubu was not a convicted felon. He may have rigged but he never led a violent insurrection against Nigeria?s parliament. In that wise, he is better than Trump. Although he and Trump have similar cognitive disabilities of speaking incomprehensibly unscripted, Tinubu manages to stay on script and act presidential when due which Trump is congenitally incapable of.

In this light, I must say I have seldom been prouder of Nigerians than right now who voted against and challenged the election of a suspected drug money launderer especially as I see educated Americans gleefully elect a convict and a conman.

?As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart?s desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and complete narcissistic moron.? H.L. Mencken, The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920

You must give the devil his due, Tinubu is no fool. Besides, more people voted against Tinubu than for him so he is not a reflection of our values or aspirations but a product of rigging and constitutional compromise. The same cannot be said of Americans who actually voted a ?complete narcissistic moron? as predicted!

The task before America is simple ? the rule of law must be respected, and the cause of justice must follow its course to its logical conclusion. Trump must be sentenced, and his existing charges should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. America must not become like Nigeria where criminals run for office just to enjoy immunity for their crimes and commit more. No sane society encourages such a travesty.

Ironically Trump himself recently said that he shouldn?t have left the White House after he lost in 2020. This is precisely what the former Governor of Kogi state has done ? remaining in government house and evading arrest for corruption for months!

Biden?s final legacy should be restoring constitutionality and the rule of law against the most lawless American president ever. Like he did before in 2020, his legacy in 2024 would be stopping Trump?s abuses of the constitution ? again. As Trump unleashes unscrupulous third world corrupt practices on the American system, it is time for America to be as dogged as Nigerians in resistance.

?Emmanuel Ogebe is a Washington-based lawyer and US Nigeria international affairs expert with the U.S. Nigeria Law Group, Washington.

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