African ‘Democrats’ Strangulating Continent’s Democracy

 By Olusegun Samuel

I am using the word ‘democrats’ in a guided manner in this article because our so-called democrats got elected, though some of them have spent decades in power and are all through constitutional means.

*Buhari and Museveni

With the current situation in Nigeria, some parts of Africa and the rest of the world, a strong central government might not necessarily be the solution. Neither do we need a powerful, all-knowing ‘monarchical’ ruler to oversee the affairs of a nation. This is certainly the scenario we find ourselves in Nigeria- my native country- despite being in a so-called democratic government.

Gabonese Coup: The Fault Is Not In The Electorate

 By Owei Lakemfa

The scenario has various strands of familiarity. I mean the military coup of Wednesday, August 30, 2023 that removed Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba. An elected African dictator in a well-fortified Presidential Palace finds his palace has become his prison. It is like the fish realising that the water it is swimming in is boiling.

The Praetorian Guards who swore an oath to defend him even if it means losing their lives, are the same arrow head of the coup. The coup leader is, of course, the Head of the Presidential Republican Guard who only yesterday saluted the President, and today, he is the Head of State with the President as his Prisoner-in-Chief.