Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has described as “worrisome” the latest military coup on African soil that happened in Gabon Wednesday.
Atiku, the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, urged African leaders to address the root cause of the recent spate of coups across the continent.
The former VP made this known via an X post on Thursday while reacting to the recent coup in Gabon — the eighth in Africa since 2020.
He called on the leaders governing and ruling the continent to give room to diplomacy as they examine the crisis.
“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,” Atiku said.
“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.”
(NAN)