Kamala Harris, candidate of the Democratic Party in the United States presidential election, has congratulated her opponent, Donald Trump, on his electoral victory.

Former US President Trump won the election on Wednesday after exceeding the magic number of 270 electoral college votes.

According to BBC, Harris called Trump and emphasised the peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans.

The US vice-president is expected to address the public when she delivers remarks at Howard University later today.

Trump, the Republican standard-bearer, defeated Harris of the Democratic Party to become the 47th president of the US.

World leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, have sent their congratulations to the president-elect.

Donald Trump declared victory and promised to “heal” the country as results placed him on the brink of defeating Kamala Harris in a dramatic White House comeback.

His triumphant speech came despite Fox News being the only network to declare him the winner, with no other US outlets having made a call at that point.

As ecstatic supporters cheered and chanted “USA,” Trump took the stage at his campaign headquarters in Florida, joined by his wife Melania and several of his children.

“We are going to help our country heal,” the Republican former president said.

“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before.”

US networks had called Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina for the 78-year-old, while Trump led Harris in several other states, although those hadn’t been officially decided yet.

A sense of gloom quickly enveloped Harris’s camp.

“You won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow,” Cedric Richmond, Harris’s campaign co-chair, told a watch party in Washington as supporters began to leave.

In another setback for Democrats, Trump’s Republican Party also gained control of the Senate, flipping two seats and overturning a narrow Democratic majority.

A Trump win could send shockwaves across the globe, as US allies in Europe and Asia fear a return to his nationalist policies and his praise for autocrats like Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

However, the US dollar surged, bitcoin hit a record high, and most equity markets saw gains as traders predicted a Trump victory as the results came in.

For weeks, polls had shown a razor-tight race between Harris and Trump, who would become the oldest president in history at the time of his inauguration, the first felon president, and only the second in history to serve non-consecutive terms.

Trump is also facing sentencing in a criminal case over hush money payments on November 26, while the controversy over his refusal to accept his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden continues to loom.

But in the end, victory came surprisingly quickly.

The mood shifted sharply at Harris’s watch party at Howard University, her alma mater and a historically Black college in Washington, as the results poured in.

“I am scared,” said Charlyn Anderson. “I am anxious now. I am leaving, my legs can barely move.”

Meanwhile, the celebrations grew more intense at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and at the watch party nearby.

Tech mogul Elon Musk, who has supported Trump and is poised to lead a government efficiency commission under him, posted a picture of himself with the Republican.

“Game, set and match,” Musk said on X, the social media platform he owns alongside the Tesla electric vehicle company and SpaceX.

Millions of Americans had lined up to vote throughout Election Day, with many more casting early ballots, in a race with profound consequences for both the United States and the world.

Voters were deciding whether to hand Trump a historic comeback or make Harris the first woman to hold the world’s most powerful position.

In a stark reminder of the tension — and the fear of potential violence — dozens of bomb threats were made against polling stations in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

The FBI stated that the threats appeared to originate from Russia, which the US has accused of attempting to interfere in the election. Though all the threats were hoaxes, they caused significant disruption.

Harris, 60, had hoped to become the second Black president and the first of South Asian descent.

Her entrance into the race had been dramatic, coming after Joe Biden dropped out in July, while Trump — who was impeached twice during his presidency — had endured two assassination attempts and a criminal conviction.

She focused her campaign on portraying Trump as a threat to democracy and firmly opposed his stance on abortion bans.

Trump, for his part, vowed to launch an unprecedented deportation campaign targeting millions of undocumented immigrants, speaking in a campaign steeped in dark rhetoric.

The election was closely watched worldwide, especially in war zones like Ukraine and the Middle East. Trump has suggested he would cut aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.

Credit: AFP

Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has announced the death of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, Chief of the Army Staff.

Lagbaja died at the age of 56.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, he passed away on Tuesday night in Lagos after a period of illness.

“Born on February 28, 1968, Lt. General Lagbaja was appointed Chief of Army Staff on June 19, 2023, by President Tinubu.

“His distinguished military career began when he enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987. On September 19, 1992, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Infantry Corps as a member of the 39th Regular Course.

“Throughout his service, Lt. General Lagbaja demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment, serving as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.

“He played pivotal roles in numerous internal security operations, including Operation ZAKI in Benue State, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in Southeast Nigeria, and Operation Forest Sanity across Kaduna and Niger States.

“An alumnus of the prestigious U.S. Army War College, he earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies, demonstrating his dedication to professional growth and excellence in military leadership.

“Lt. General Lagbaja is survived by his beloved wife, Mariya, and their two children.

“President Tinubu expresses his heartfelt condolences to the family and the Nigerian Armed Forces during this difficult time. He wishes Lt. General Lagbaja eternal peace and honors his significant contributions to the nation,” the statement added.