Aftermath of protest: Afenifere condemns call for military coup

IBRAHIM QUADRI

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Afenifere has 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 condemnation 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 political power in the country.

Some Nigerian youths had declared ten-day protests beginning from August 1 to 10, over economic hardship prevalent in the country.

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 lost in some areas.

However, 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 the 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.

Afenifere went down 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.”