The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakakar, has decried the latest coup in Gabon and called for an introspection into this escalating trend.
The former Vice President made this known in a statement on his official X (formally Twitter) account on Thursday.
Atiku said that democracy and democratic governance are his most preferred form of government and that everything possible should be done to enthrone, support, and preserve democracy.
“The latest coup brings the number of military takeovers in Central and West Africa to 8 since 2020. This is worrisome and calls for introspection. We may have to focus on dealing with the disease and not the symptoms that birth coups,” Atiku stated.
“As I suggested in the case of the Niger Republic, the ECOWAS and African Union authorities should open a window of diplomatic engagement that will pave the way for the soldiers to return to the barracks,” he noted.
Atiku, however, appealed to both the authorities of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to engage in diplomatic dialogue to help facilitate the orderly return of soldiers to their barracks.
The coup attempt in Gabon follows a recent occurrence in Niger, where mutinous soldiers seized control from the democratically elected government. This event adds to a series of coups that have posed challenges to the governments of Central and West Africa.
