The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu on Saturday in Kenya urged African leaders to respect democracy, rule of law, and ensure political stability.

He made the call at the ongoing United Nations Development Programme going on in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Tinubu in a statement at the event, presented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adami Ibrahim Lamuwa, who said it was regrettable that West Africa, despite its numerous instruments and mechanisms for promoting democracy and good governance, is leading other regions in the use of unconstitutional means to change governments.

He therefore urged African military institutions and states to recognise and respect the need for democratic renewal sating that coups d’état should be discouraged in the continent, especially in the face of challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, insecurity, and climate change.

Tinubu also warned that the trend of the military straying into the political arena caused  threats to peace, security, and stability, on the continent.

”This ugly trend has only succeeded in threatening the peace, security, and stability of the sub-region and by extension the African continent, leaving in its trail poverty, internally-displaced persons, and humanitarian crisis. In the same vein, this ugly trend has also led to food shortages and escalated health challenges.

”We therefore must take deliberate steps to address the root causes of unconstitutional changes and coups d’état in Africa. As a continent, we cannot make progress toward achieving the goals and targets of the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, as well as those of the AU Agenda 2063 for the “Africa We Want”. said Tinubu.

The statement said ”Between 2020 and now, Africa has witnessed six successful coups d’état and three unsuccessful attempts. This rise in military takeovers and unconstitutional changes in government disrupts our democratic processes and undermines stability on the continent.

”It is for this reason that I call on all African leaders at all levels to make concerted efforts in respecting the tenets of democracy and the rule of law, in order to ensure political stability on the continent.” 

Reiterating that Africa has no intention of regressing on its democratic gains and credentials, as well as its maturing democratic political culture, President Tinubu said: “I call on all Afro-centric supranational organisations, especially the African Union, the various Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms, to individually and collectively adopt Protocols on democracy and good governance, and ensure their effective implementation.”