Protests’ aftermath: Afenifere decries call for military coup

… enjoins Nigerians to give democracy a chance

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Afenifere, has strongly condemned the calls by some people in the country beseeching the military to take over power in Nigeria.

In a statement issued by the organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere asserted that the country’s democratic dispensation “should not be sacrificed or truncated for any reason”.
Afenifere’s denounciation came on the heels of the calls by some people who hid under the guise of the recently concluded protests on the army to stage a coup and seize the reign political power in the country.

It would be recalled that some people announced ten-day protests beginning from August 1 to 10.
The protests took place peacefully in some states while some sections of the country did not participate in it at all.
In some states, the protests became violent leading to the destruction and looting of properties. Lives were even reportedly lost in some areas.

On top of that, some so-called ‘protesters’ brazenly hoisted flags associated with Russia. Some maintained that the insignia on the flags were that of Nigerian army.
“Whether the flags belonged to Russia or the army, the message is more or less the same – inciting the taking-over of government through an unconstitutional means”, Ajayi declared.

He added that since the protest was ostensibly to push for an end to the hunger and sundry other deprivations in the land, “how come the look in the direction of either the military or a foreign power. It would be a height of self-delusion to assume that the intervention of either the military or a foreign power will put an automatic stop to the hunger in the land”.

States in which the protests took a dimension that ran against the ‘peaceful nature’ that the instigators promised included Edo, Rivers, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, Borno, Kano and Yobe. In some of the Northern States, not only were properties looted and destroyed, brazen calls for a coup rent the air.

A tailor who was alleged to be sewing the flags was among the urchins reportedly arrested notably in Kano, Katsina and Kaduna. As though to prove a possible involvement of foreign interests in the affair, seven Polish nationals were reportedly among the suspects arrested in Kano.

So deep-seated was the issue that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, made it known to journalists that the coup saga featured in the meeting he and some top government officials just had with the President.

Afenifere spokesman recalled that the CDS, Musa, had, on February 26 this year, described those calling for a military coup in Nigeria ‘are enemies of the country’.
He said this during the inauguration of of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army and Officers Transit
Accommodation in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Afenifere went the memory lane by disclosing that the first coup took place in the neighbouring country, Togo during which the country’s President, Sylvanus Olympio, was assassinated. This opened floodgates for military putsch in Africa such that as much as 45 of the continent’s 52 countries experienced military rule at one time or the other. Some countries, especially in West Africa, are under the military as we speak.

The pan-Yoruba organization stated that while democracy might not yet avail us the best that we desire and deserve, “it is still the best in our current situation because of its inherent characteristics of making the people the custodians of political mandate. Its elastic nature allows various tendencies to operate – as long as they do so within the ambit of the law.

“This is a far cry from what is obtainable under a military government”.
Afenifere spokesman went further to call on Nigerians, especially youths, to be watchful as some used the protests to advance personal causes. These included the announcement of raising N4 billion as ‘donations for the protests’ on the fourth day of the street demonstrations as reported by Sunday Punch of August 4, 2024.

‘GoFundMe’ is the name of the organization in the fund-raising gambit and is based in Washington DC in America. The brain behind it called on “Nigerians across North America to show solidarity and support this cause”.
Ajayi applauded the assurance given by the Chief of Defence Staff for their commitment to democracy. The CDS had said:

“We all want and we do better under democracy. And so, we will continue to support democracy”.
Afenifere spokesman enjoined Nigerians to heed President Bola Tinubu’s advice to reject anti-democratic antics after 25 years of unbroken democracy.

“… do not let enemies of democracy use you to promote an unconstitutional agenda that will set us back on our democratic journey”, Ajayi quoted the President as saying during his recent broadcast to the nation.

In conclusion, Afenifere reaffirms it’s support for the efforts of the federal government to revitalise and reposition our economy, in order to bring the much needed succour to our people. Afenifere enjoins the government to fast-track the implementation of its economic policies, and consider alternative measures to ensure that lasting relief arrives in the polity, in no distant future.