In the wake of a military coup in Gabon, former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has expressed his lack of surprise. The coup occurred shortly after the controversial re-election of President Ali Bongo for a third term. Army officers in Gabon made the announcement of their seizure of power on Tuesday, citing the annulment of the election outcome due to alleged fraud and opposition rejection.
Taking to his social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), Fani-Kayode penned his thoughts, indicating his anticipation of more coups in the West and Central African Francophone nations. He remarked, “Regrettably, yet another coup has unfolded in Africa, this time within the borders of Gabon, where President Ali Bongo (depicted below) has been deposed. It appears that the cautionary note I presented in my recent essay, ‘Does Killing Nigerien Babies Bring Glory To Our Name?’ has taken on a prophetic tone.”
Furthermore, Fani-Kayode emphasized his lack of astonishment regarding the incident and conveyed his belief that similar coups might emerge across Francophone nations in the Western and Central African regions. He pointed to his earlier essay for the basis of his assertion. Closing his statement with a thought-provoking query, he pondered whether ECOWAS or the African Union would consider intervention in Gabon. The region now watches closely to observe how this situation evolves.”