President Bola Tinubu has expressed his concerns over the recent coup in Gabon, where President Ali Bongo was ousted and placed under house arrest.
The military personnel behind the coup claimed that there were flaws in the recent general election and cited irresponsible governance as reasons for their actions.
Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, stated that the presidency is closely monitoring the situation and is worried about the spread of autocratic tendencies in Africa.
Tinubu, who has fought for democracy throughout his life, believes that power should be in the hands of the people, not obtained through force.
Ngelale said the President as a man who has made significant personal sacrifices in his own life in the course of advancing and defending democracy is of the unwavering belief that power belongs in the hands of Africa’s great people and not in the barrel of a loaded gun.
He 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 States in the African Union towards a comprehensive consensus on the next steps forwards 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.”
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