Buhari Toasts Brazil’s Bolsonaro

Ololade Adeyanju/

 

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has extended a hand of fellowship to the right-wing politician, Mr Jair Bolsonaro, on his victory in Brazil’s presidential election run-off on Sunday.

Congratulating Bolsonaro, Buhari also felicitated with the people of Brazil for successfully going through the two rounds of the election and making their choice, thereby enhancing the democratic credentials of their country.

Buhari noted that Nigeria shares historical and cultural ties with Brazil and that his administration hoped for the deepening of such relations as well as the expansion of current political, trade, and military ties.

The Nigerian leader wished Bolsonaro, who will assume office in January 2019 a successful tenure in confronting his country’s current socio-economic challenges.

Bolsonaro defeated his Leftist opponent Fernando Haddad of the Workers’ Party 55.5 per cent against 44.5 per cent of the votes with 96 per cent of ballots counted.

Far-right Bolsonaro now has a task of leading Latin America’s biggest country and the world’s fourth-largest democracy to traditional Brazilian values which he promised during his campaign.

Bolsonaro, who cast himself as a political outsider despite a 27-year career in Congress, is the latest of several leaders around the globe to gain prominence by mixing tough, often violent talk with right-wing positions like American President Donald Trump.

But he, also, is very much a product of a political tempest in Brazil that made his messages less marginalised: widespread anger at the political class amid years of corruption, an economy that has struggled to recover after a punishing recession and a surge in violence.

The name of his party, PSL, translates to “Social Liberal Party,” although it largely abandoned its socially liberal platforms after he joined.

Bolstering his rebel image is his reputation for offensive statements and sometimes extreme views, including insulting women, black people and the LGBT community.

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