Retired Army generals send coup warning to Nigeria President Bola Tinubu

Retired military generals in Nigeria cautioned President Bola Tinubu amid increasing coups in the ECOWAS bloc countries.

Some retired military generals have cautioned the Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, that the key to preventing a coup in the country is for the democratically elected government to adhere to the constitution and promote good governance.

This warning comes on the heels of recent coups recorded in Niger Republic and Gabon.

In an interview with PUNCH, the generals stressed that while coups are undesirable, people no longer wish to be taken for granted.

According to the former top military officers, flagrant disregard for the constitution and the absence of good governance may give rise to a military takeover in Nigeria.

General Alexander Ogomudia, a former chief of defence staff, stated that the coups reflected how the elected leaders ruled their countries.

Ogomudia said there is no moral justification for a coup against governments that keep campaign promises and respect for the country’s constitution.

“You can’t use what happened in Gabon as a template for what happens everywhere else. For Niger, have you seen the pictures of the country at all? For how many years has France been collecting nuclear materials from that country, and the country is one of the poorest in the world?

“In my place, we have a saying that if you do anyhow, you will see anyhow. So, whoever was ruling Niger, if he was teaming with foreigners to ruin their country; that is doing anyhow. So, if you have a coup now, it is seeing anyhow. I have no advice.

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“Every politician knows what is right. Before resuming office, don’t they campaign? If they stick to those promises why would they have a problem? If I say this road to your place is not good, I will fix it for you, and when I get there and I fix the road, will anyone have the moral justification to support a coup against such a person? Those who are planning coups have their reason for planning it, I can’t speak for them,” Ogomudia told Punch.

Similarly, Brig.-Gen. Phillip Ashim said the way to stop coups in Africa was to ensure that the people enjoyed good governance. “That is common knowledge, it is good governance. That’s all,” he added.

The Nigerian government, however, downplayed concerns about a coup, stating that the country has moved beyond forcible leadership seizures. 

According to the minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, Nigeria has gone past the era of forceful military takeovers.

“I can tell you that there is no fear or apprehension at all. We have gone past that, and we have been a democratic country all this while with the institutions of democracy getting stronger,” the minister announced.

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