“If people cannot trust their Government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and promote their welfare – all else is lost” … Barrack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America.
Six days ago on the 6th of December, 2025, Africans woke up to a development in Cotonou , the capital of the Republic of Benin in the West African subregion, when some dissident soldiers, attempted to overthrow the government of President Patrice Talon. The move was swiftly countered by the loyal armed forces of the Republic of Benin, with the support, and intervention of the military from the neighboring Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The coup was effectively quelled, and the catastrophe of military interregnum was averted. Peace is maintained and sustained in the Republic of Benin .
I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the swift action he took to avert the coup in the Republic of Benin which could potentially have negative political and socio-economic impacts on Nigeria and West Africa. I am able to say like every other well-meaning citizens in Nigeria and across the world, that military regimes are not the solution to bad governance or to change the leadership of a Country or States. I believe, like many others, that the best way to bring positive change in a democratic setting is through the ballot box, or through effective and legitimate process and the power of the people. Therefore, I am very happy that the attempted Coups failed in Benin Republic.
However, the attempted coup in the Republic of Benin and the drama that happened in Guinea-Bissau about two weeks ago, whereby what I call an “arrangee” coup was undertaken in the the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, has raised or amplified some key questions with regard to the trend of military coups and attempted coups sweeping across the West Africa subregion. Rather than for that trend to be stopped, it appears to be increasing and taking new dimensions where political leaders appear to be arranging with the Armed forces to overthrow them, as a gambit to block their political opponents from legitimately winning elections and taking over power from them. Therefore, while we are pushing back against military coups and juntas, it is important for us to interrogate the reasons why the coups and attempted coups are becoming prevalent, and address those issues so as to ensure that the trend of military coups is stopped. The Countries and peoples of Africa must move towards solutions rather than going backwards and deeper into complications of such nature as military interventions.
The real tenets of Democracy and Good Governance are Critical:
We may recall that the military coups in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali were and are still actually supported and accepted by the majority of citizens of those countries. This is a reflection of the failure of the political class across Africa to deliver good governance, and ensure the credibility and sustainability of democracy. A key point to be noted, especially by the political leaders, is that unless and until political leaders focus on and deliver the mandates given to them by the citizens; unless they are sensitive to the concerns of the citizens of their country, those political leaders will continue to create or open for the military or the non-state actors and agents of doom to continue attempting to take over power in that country by whatever means.
In my opinion, as it is the opinion of many other thought leaders and many other citizens across Africa, the failure to comply with the tenets of democracy, the lack of good governance, and the impunity of the political class are contributing factors that will continue to create opportunities for power grabs and what I call “institutional coups”, which are taking place across Africa, unhindered and supported, either deliberately or inadvertently by the other Presidents across Africa. Today in Africa, we have the sit tight leaders who have been in power for decades, who have refused to give way to proper democratic processes and they are members of the African Union and other subregional bodies like ECOWAS, etc. Meanwhile, the political consciousness of the people is changing. Yes, we are all rising against military interregnums. But also, yes, people are conscious of their powers, and when push comes to shove, as we have seen in the Republics of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mail, the citizens may not necessarily support the politicians in power or the democratically elected governments, when they are not delivering credible democracy and good governance, especially when they demonstrate dictatorial tendencies..
Over 60 years or less since independence, majority of African Countries are still grappling with the provision of basic amenities like clean drinking water, steady electricity, education, security, free, fair, and credible elections, etc. Therefore, it is important for us to note that the foundations and building blocks of our Countries and Continent are fundamental to the success of the Africa.. indeed the entrenchment of the tenets of democracy is crucial.
leaders across Africa to smell the coffee and face those realities. The enemies within will continue to rise so long as we keep on giving them the opportunities by failing to live up to expectations of your peoples.
Furthermore, the fact that mlitary coups are becoming fashionable in Africa, is a reflection of what I call, “the illusion of democracy, that African politicians give their citizens. This is because most times, the political class hide under the cloak of democracy, to perpetuate more evil than the military.
If you take Nigeria, for example, back in the days, the political class have been part and parcel of coups and countercoups. What is happening in Guinea-Bissau is like a smaller, and more rough version of what happened in other countries, like Uganda, Cameroun, Cote De Voice, etc. Oher “democratically elected” Presidents and AU and regional bodies, do not call out or sanction democratically elected Presidents demonstrate undemocratic tendencies or act undemocratically. They only call out the military when they take over. Hence, the leaders of West Africa are opening up the windows to military interregnums that they are not able to control or de-legitimize. And that is why the Sahel region is becoming more militarized. It is all about leadership, because if the AU, ECOWAS, and other countries are demonstrating leadership in terms of institutionalizing democracy military coups will away.
As for ECOWAS, I ask for some introspection, going forward, with regard how things have been evolving in the sub-region, and to a larger extent in the continent of Africa. It is not enough for you to come and start blowing the whistle of war, or blowing the horn of war, when you know that you have not delivered good governance. Because what is true and what is real is, there is a phenomenon sweeping over Africa, triggered by the Arab Spring, and consolidated by the Sudan meltdown of Omar al-Bashir, you know, which was actually triggered by the people, not by the junta.
As a Hausa proverb says, “unless the world cracks, the lizard will not find a way to go through”.. So, going forward, I just hope and pray that the ECOWAS will look at the core tenets of ECOWAS, and that is the improvement of the economy of the sub-region. That should be the focal point. The moment they are able to deliver those provisions of the treaty I revised in 1991, I think that would further dissuade military takeovers or totally eliminate them. And also, to continue focussing on Africa, on we, the Africans, and delivering value for us, rather than leaning towards the Western powers that use them, you know, for their proxy wars, and to continue to plunder our resources. So, however we look at it, the key role of dissuading and eliminating military takeovers still falls within the ECOWAS in terms of the various leadership of the countries in the sub-region.
There must be Peace for Development to happen
There must be peace before growth and development can happen. There must be stability in terms of democracy and the socio-economic well-being of our citizens across the countries in the continent for us to achieve the national, regional and continental growth and development. Look at what is happening in The Sahel region, Sudan, South Sudan, and DRC, for example, and other parts of Africa.
It is important to note that in Africa, we must recognize that the lingering and growing crises across Africa will ultimately hamstring the growth of the continent because we are all connected. Invariably if one regional bloc sneezes the other part of the Continent ultimately catches the cold with the effects that follow. Therefore, United we stand, and divided we will continue to wallow in the abyss of backwardness.
