A former US official has compared President Donald Trump to Zimbabwe’s late leader Robert Mugabe, over his comments alleging fraud, without evidence, in the US election.

Samantha Power, who served as the UN ambassador in the administration of former President Barack Obama, tweeted on Friday that Mr Trump was “going full Robert Mugabe”.

Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe from 1980 until he was ousted in a coup in 2017. His stay in office for decades was secured through elections marred by widespread allegations of fraud.

Ms Power’s tweet was sent minutes after Mr Trump held a press briefing on Thursday, where he blamed his dwindling chances for re-election on votes cast illegally.

He has been widely criticised for the comments with many saying that he was undermining US democratic systems.

But some Africans on Twitter thought the comparison was a way of Americans pointing fingers at others instead of appreciating the problems in their own country. (BBC)