Yesterday, Oba Abdurosheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, called upon President Bola Tinubu to mobilize military forces across Africa to put an end to the coup against President Mohamed Bazoum of the Niger Republic. The monarch, through his media aide Alli Ibraheem, urged President Tinubu to leverage his position as ECOWAS Chairman to intervene and restore democracy in Niger.
Highlighting the significance of bolstering democracy in Africa and preventing military interference, Oluwo stressed the need for harmonization among African military forces to ensure the failure of the coup attempt.
He specifically implored President Ahmed Tinubu, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to take decisive action to prevent the military from taking over the affairs of Niger Republic, where President Mohamed Bazoum was democratically elected.
While suggesting the need for harmonization of African military forces to ensure the Niger coup didn’t survive, he said: “Democracy in Africa has to be strengthened through promotion of a democratic system of government devoid of military incursion and interference. I’m calling on President Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria to use his position as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to thwart the ongoing military taking over of the country’s affairs from the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic.
“The call becomes necessary on Tinubu on two premises- being the ECOWAS chairman and President of Nigeria adjudged to be the giant of Africa. No Coup must survive under your watch as ECOWAS chairman. External authorities and forces have to be mobilized to grow African democracy and ensure sanity.
“Defending democracy is the primary task of ECOWAS authority. I’m convinced Tinubu will lead the body constructively by fortifying the system in favour of democracy. Democracy will survive in Africa.
“President Tinubu should harmonize forces to win the war against democracy. He must show strength and prove himself beyond expectation in his new office as ECOWAS boss.”
