Let’s deepen relations, Buhari tells Brazil’s Bolsonaro

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated right-wing politician, Mr Jair Bolsonaro on his victory in Brazil’s presidential election run-off on Sunday.

The President 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 expansion of current political, trade and military ties.

The Nigerian leader wished Bolsonaro, who will take 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.

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.