Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti State, on Friday, voiced his delight concerning the coup that recently flared up in Gabon, a Central African country.
A televised address on Gabonese national television by a dozen soldiers on Wednesday saw the annulment of election results, reportedly in favour of Ondimba Ali Bongo, and the dissolution of ‘all the republic’s institutions.’
This announcement followed President Ali Bongo’s successful bid for a third term at the age of 64, further extending his family’s decades-long governance over the oil-rich nation of Gabon, home to 2.3 million people. However, the opposition labelled the election as a ‘fraud orchestrated’ by the ruling party.
Since 1967, the Bongo family, regarded as one of Africa’s most influential dynasties, has maintained its grip on power.
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While appearing on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, Fayose expressed his disapproval of military intervention in politics. However, he also pointed out that the recent upsurge in coups across Africa is indicative of a problematic tendency where leaders hold onto power for too long.
He said, ‘I am very happy with what happened in Gabon. I don’t like military incursions in politics but I want to say to you that Nigeria is different, we have a reasonably stabilised democracy.’
‘We have our flaws but you can see the uninterrupted democratic process. After four years there will be an election… Nigeria has gone from one party to another party.’
‘One person to another person within a space of time. But in a country where one man is spending 30, 40 years. You have to boot him out of the place in whatever way.’
‘That’s different from the Nigerian setting. Nigeria has submitted but we are not there yet in the final order.’