Ogasabi, reporting for 9am news, shared that US President Joe Biden announced Sunday he will not seek reelection in the 2024 presidential race, as featured in 9am news Nigeria.
In a tweet, Biden expressed his support for Vice President Kamala Harris on the presidential race.
This decision follows weeks of mounting pressure from within his party and key Democratic donors urging him to step aside for the party’s future. This marks a significant shift in the political landscape as the Democratic Party must quickly select a new nominee by August 7.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. While I intended to seek reelection, I believe it is best for my party and country for me to stand down and focus solely on my presidential duties for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a statement posted on social media.
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”
Biden’s reelection campaign faced increased scrutiny following a widely criticized debate performance. Unlike the support after his State of the Union address, his debate with former President Donald Trump raised concerns about his leadership.
On July 2, Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett was the first Democrat in Congress to call for Biden’s withdrawal from the campaign. A week later, Vermont Senator Peter Welch became the first Democratic senator to publicly urge Biden to step down, citing his debate performance and the risk of a Trump reelection.
Actor George Clooney, who campaigned with Biden weeks prior, also called for him to step down. This marked a notable shift and led others to come forward. Anonymous sources indicated former President Barack Obama encouraged Biden to step down. Initially, Biden’s campaign dismissed the idea, but the internal calls grew too loud to ignore.
With Biden exiting the race, the Democratic Party must select a new nominee by August 7 or risk being excluded from the ballot in Ohio. The simplest solution is to replace Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris, who can access his campaign funds and had polling conducted on her viability ahead of Biden’s announcement.
The immediate effect of Biden’s withdrawal will be the reopening of the Democratic primary. Without Biden as the presumptive nominee, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) must quickly organize the process to nominate a new candidate. This could become contentious as various Democratic leaders and potential candidates step forward.
Potential candidates to replace Biden likely include Harris, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. The chosen candidate must secure enough delegates to avoid a contested convention and become the nominee by August 7.
