Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar: Coups Can’t Succeed Without Political Involvement (Details)

Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar: Coups Can’t Succeed Without Political Involvement (Details)

In an exclusive interview with The Sun Newspaper, former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar expressed concerns about political involvement in military coups, asserting that such takeovers do not occur without political complicity.

Abubakar, Nigeria’s last military ruler, addressed the recent surge of military coups in West Africa, including the coup in Niger. He emphasized the underlying issues that facilitate military interventions in politics.

“When you are in government and there is no equity and justice, certainly this brings problems,” Abubakar said, identifying internal discord within political parties and a lack of democratic practices as primary catalysts.

His comments follow the military coup in Niger last year, which resulted in the ousting of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. Abubakar, who played a crucial role in Nigeria’s transition to democracy, was actively involved in negotiations on behalf of ECOWAS, which initially imposed sanctions on Niger in response to the coup.

However, as ECOWAS adjusted its stance, Niger had already sought alliances with other countries that experienced similar governmental disruptions.

Highlighting the role of civilian stakeholders in such takeovers, Abubakar noted, “There is no military man that takes over without the connivance and assistance of politicians and civilians.”