Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, has advised African leaders to treat the cancer that causes coups rather than just its symptoms.
Atiku, who finished second to President Bola Tinubu in the most recent presidential election, condemned the coup in Gabon but insisted that African leaders must work to protect democratic governance throughout the continent.
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Atiku asked the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union to develop channels for diplomatic interaction in a post on X on Thursday.
He wrote, “The coup in Gabon stands condemned. Democracy and democratic governance have come to stay as a preferred form of government, and everything should be done to enthrone, nurture, and sustain it.
“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.
“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.”
The military takeover in Gabon is coming one month after a similar incident happened in Niger where Presidential Guards overthrew the democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum.
