The early Wednesday morning coup that ousted President Ali Bongo of Gabon is yet another clear signal that military intervention in our part of Africa is returning to the centre stage after a few decades of romance with democracy.

Shortly after independence from their colonial masters in the 1960s and beyond, most African countries underwent revolutions and military interregna. The post-independence elites largely failed to meet the expectations of the people. Nigeria spent about 28 staggered years under military rule before returning to democracy in 1999.

After 24 years of unbroken experiment, the system is already shaky because politicians no longer care for the people. They are in total disregard of the law and rules that make democracy the best system of government.

The Gabon coup is the second in its 63-year independence. During this period, only the Bongo family (Omar and his son, Ali Bongo) have ruled the country. An oil-rich country with a population of only 2.341 million (less than that of Nigeria’s least populated state, Bayelsa), Gabon is one of the poorest countries in the world. The Bongo family failed to justify its 56 years of power which it held by maintaining a “willing mule” relationship with Gabon’s former colonial master, France.

This coup came despite the ongoing huffing over the seizure of power by the military in six countries in the Sahel – Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sudan and Niger Republic. The Nigeria-led Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, under the pressure of offshore powers, has been threatening military action against the Niger junta if negotiations for the restoration of deposed President Mohammed Bazoum fails.

That the Gabon coup took place amidst the ECOWAS threat to the Niger junta and shortly after a presidential election in Gabon shows that momentum is building up against democracy in sub-Saharan Africa. The worrisome aspect is that in all these countries, the people always came out in support of the interventionists.

What could be responsible for this? The answer is simple. When salt loses its taste, it becomes useless, so says the Bible. Democracy is the best form of government because it is “government of the people, by the people, for the people”. When the power of the people is neutralised by rapacious politicians and the people suffer due to the ensuing bad governance, it becomes an open invitation to violent change.

When politicians corrupt the electoral process, buy votes, compromise electoral officials to undermine the people’s choice, disregard court orders, emasculate the legislature through the stick or carrot and leave the people smarting from extreme hardship, they are playing with fire.

To prevent further descent into military adventurism, African leaders, including ours, must foster genuine democracy and good governance in their respective countries.

Power must return to the people.

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