Tinubu Speaks on Military Coup in Gabon

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has expressed his dismay over the military coup in Gabon, where soldiers seized power from the elected President Ali Bongo Ondimba.

Tinubu, who is also the chairperson of the regional bloc ECOWAS, said he is in close contact with other African leaders to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Gabon has been plunged into turmoil after a group of soldiers announced on Wednesday that they had overthrown President Bongo, who has been in power since 2009.

Bongo, who belongs to a family that has ruled Gabon for more than 50 years, was recently declared the winner of a controversial third term in an election marred by allegations of fraud and violence.

The coup leaders said they had cancelled the election results and placed Bongo and his family under house arrest.

President Tinubu, who is known for his pro-democracy activism in Nigeria, said he was deeply concerned about the political and social stability of Gabon and the threat of authoritarianism spreading across Africa. He said he believes that power belongs to the people and not to the military.

In a statement issued by his media adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu said: “The President affirms that the rule of law and a faithful recourse to the constitutional resolutions and instruments of electoral dispute resolution must not at any time be allowed to perish from our great continent.

“To this end, the President is working very closely and continues to communicate with other Heads of State in the African Union towards a comprehensive consensus on the next steps forward with respect to how the power in Gabon will play out and how the continent will respond to contagious autocracy we have seen spread across our continent.”

The coup in Gabon is a serious threat to democracy in Africa. Tinubu’s commitment to defending democracy is a welcome development, and it is essential that the AU and other African leaders take action to ensure that democracy prevails in Gabon and throughout the continent.

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