FRESH FACTS have emerged indicating that Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump in Tuesday’s elections may not be unconnected with the lack of support from a number of Nigerians on Twitter. Divisions in Nigerian political twitter since 2014 have now gone global.

According to some arguments on Nigerian political twitter, the Obama government had frustrated efforts by ex Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, to prosecute the war against Boko Haram and so created the opportunity for the emergence of President Buhari. This is still resented by a lot of President Jonathan’s supporters. “Clinton refused to sell us weapons and now they want our support. No.” one user tweeted. According to one user: “America gave us a Trump, they should get a Buhari too”. She also expressed her satisfaction with how the Nigerian GEJ bloc had blocked Clinton’s candidacy. “But they said GEJ is not coming back? So why do they want Obama back?”

Divisions in Nigerian political twitter since 2014 have now gone global.

Other Nigerian twitter users were not so happy. “This is not the change we wanted. How could the GEJ faction do this to us?” one twitter user lamented. Another was angry: “Wailers are still wailing from 2015 loss. Now, they have helped a misogynist dictator to win.” Another person felt the pro-Clinton camp in Nigerian political twitter should have done more to reach out to the Jonathan crowd. “To be honest, we didn’t try our best. We spent more time insulting GEJ supporters than selling Clinton as the better candidate.”

Tensions are rife on Nigerian political twitter at the moment. Some pro-Clinton users have actually threatened to block anyone who supported Donald Trump. There are reports of planned protests across Nigeria.

“This is not the change we wanted. How could the GEJ faction do this to us?” one twitter user lamented.

What is now clear to everyone is that America can no longer afford to ignore Nigerian political twitter. A CNN pollster told us regretfully: “How were we so blind? We just forgot to factor in the Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Clinton campaign has denied that Ms Clinton did not appeal to the pro-Jonathan base. “We did our very best to convince them. Unfortunately, some had already made up their minds not to support us as far back as 2014.” However, he thanked the Nigerian political twitter users that stood by the campaign. “Your arguments, hashtags and Hillary photos mean so much to us. Hillary could not have gotten this far without your support.”

“How were we so blind? We just forgot to factor in the Nigerians.”

We were unable to reach the Donald Trump campaign for comment. We, however, spoke to some of Trump’s US supporters on the issue.

“They have twitter in Africa?” asked a Trump supporter, with undisguised surprise.