President Bola Tinubu has issued a response to the recent coup in Gabon, which led to the ousting of President Ali Bongo and his subsequent house arrest. The coup attempt was orchestrated by certain military personnel who cited flaws in the recent general election as their motivation.
In light of these events, President Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, conveyed the President’s stance on Wednesday. Ngelale expressed deep concern over the emergence of what he termed “seeming autocratic contention” across various regions of Africa.
President Tinubu, a figure known for his contributions to democracy, firmly believes that power should rest in the hands of the people rather than the barrel of a gun. Ngelale emphasized President Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the utilization of constitutional mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes.
Ngelale further conveyed that President Tinubu is engaged in communication with other African heads of state within the African Union. This communication aims to establish a comprehensive consensus regarding the course of action in Gabon and the broader response to the propagation of autocracy within the continent.
In his statement, Ngelale quoted President Tinubu: “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 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.”
