NIGERIA: Nigerians express mixed feelings after Barack Obama is re-elected as U.S. President

Record ID: 235809

  • Title: NIGERIA: Nigerians express mixed feelings after Barack Obama is re-elected as U.S. President
  • Date: 7th November 2012
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 22nd November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2C14HYEHOFMXVABSYQO4C3CB8
  • Story Text: Nigerians expressed mixed feelings on Wednesday (November 7) after President Barack Obama's emphatic re-election win over Mitt Romney in Tuesday's (November 6) vote.
    As celebrations continued in the United States, residents in Nigeria's commercial city of Lagos went about their daily activities.
    Bono Jehomo, tax manager at a bank, said the win came as a surprise to him.

    "Well I'm really happy for him because I did not think he was going to win, based on the fact that Romney did put in quite a shift towards the tail end of the campaign. I'm happy for him as a black person, I'm happy that he was given a second chance and I'm hoping that the next four years will avail him the opportunity to fulfil some of his earlier promises," he said.
    While the win was a surprise for some, Paul Iyang says he was convinced Obama would secure a second term in the White House.

    "Well from the outset when I watched all the interviews and all, I had a very strong conviction that it was going to be Obama. Even during the debates, I just knew, deep within that Obama was going to win. I really believe in him as an African too. I really don't like, well it's not like I have anything against Romney but I just have so much faith in Obama," he said.
    Wale Adebayo, a banker, said despite falling out of favour with some of his supporters because he endorsed same sex marriage, President Obama deserved the win.

    "Honestly, I don't feel terribly bad but the other side of it is that there are some doctrines that the man has actually introduced that made people look at him as a wrong person there. But nevertheless for his success so far in the U.S., I can believe that for him to win the election for the second time, it's really worth it for him to be there."
    The majority of Nigerians don't feel President Obama's win will affect them in any way, owing to the pressing issues of security and under-development facing millions across the country.
    Obama, America's first black president, won by convincing voters to stick with him as he tries to reignite strong economic growth and recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
    END
    voxpops
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