Gabon-Niger: Expect More Coups In Africa, Says Fani-Kayode

Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation, predicted that in the near future there would be more coups in the French-speaking nations of West and Central Africa.

Fani-Kayode made this statement after a coup was planned in Gabon to overthrow the democratically elected administration of President Ali Bongo, who has been in office since 2009.

READ ALSO: Full Text Of Gabon Military Officers Announcing ‘End Of Regime’ After Ali Bongo’s Third Term Reelection

On Saturday, Bongo, who received a two-thirds majority of the vote, was declared the winner of the presidential election in the country of West Africa.

The Gabonese military officers who were dissatisfied with Bongo’s family’s 53-year rule in power overthrew him on Wednesday. 

Twelve soldiers appeared on national television to announce an end to Bongo’s rule in Gabon.

In response to the incident, which was the most recent in a series of military coups sweeping across the Sahel, Fani-Kayode declared that this would continue in Africa until the relevant parties heeded his earlier article, “Does Killing Nigerien Babies Bring Glory To Our Name?”

The federal government’s cutoff of Niger’s power supplies, which has a negative impact on hospitals and causes babies to be born dead, was denounced by the ex-minister in the article.

He also condemned France’s influence on Francophone African countries, which he claimed was causing coups.

On Wednesday morning, Fani-Kayode announced these via his X page, emphasising that he was not startled by the coup.

“BREAKING NEWS: Sadly, another coup has occurred in Africa,” he wrote.

“This time it is in the nation of Gabon where President Ali Bongo (pictured below), who together with his late father Alhaj Bongo, had been in power for the last 53 years has been toppled and removed from office.

“It appears that the warning I gave in my last essay, titled ‘Does Killing Nigerien Babies Bring Glory To Our Name?’, was prophetic.

“I am not surprised that this has happened and frankly we should expect more coups in the  Francophone countries of West and Central Africa for the reasons I stated in that essay.

“I wonder whether ECOWAS or the African Union will threaten to invade Gabon as well?”