By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has condemned sunday’s attempted coup d’etat in Benin Republic, saying that it as dangerous for the health of democracy in the West African sub-region.
Atiku warned that the trend must be stopped before it becomes the rule and not the exception.
In a statement personally signed by him, the erstwhile presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, declared that soldiers have no business anywhere outside their barracks, stressing that every decisive measure must be taken to crush any emerging appetite for subverting democracy.
The statement by Atiku reads, “I condemn, without reservation and in the strongest possible terms, the coup d’état in the Benin Republic.
“This reckless trend of assault on constitutional order is utterly unacceptable, not only because of its dangerous proximity, but because the era of military interference in governance is long over in Africa and our sub-region.
“It is concerning that these coups are happening around election times in the affected countries.
“The Benin presidential election is scheduled for April 2026 while the purported military take over in Guinea-Bissau happened on the eve of the expected announcement of the results of that country’s poll.
“It raises fears that some political operators may be using the military to cancel the democratic processes.
“This trend is dangerous for the health of democracy in the West African sub-region and must be stopped before it becomes the rule and not the exception. “Soldiers have no business anywhere outside their barracks, and every decisive measure must be taken to crush any emerging appetite for subverting democracy”, he said.
