President Bola Tinubu has responded to the recent coup in Gabon, which resulted in the ousting of President Ali Bongo and his subsequent house arrest.

The coup plot emerged from military personnel who claimed that the recent general election in Gabon had significant flaws.

They acknowledged that the organization of the election on August 26, 2023, did not meet the standards necessary for a transparent, credible, and inclusive ballot, as desired by the people of Gabon.

Furthermore, the coup plotters cited irresponsible and unpredictable governance, which had led to a growing deterioration of social cohesion in the country.

They expressed concerns that this could potentially push the nation into chaos. President Tinubu has taken note of these developments.

But reacting on behalf of President Tinubu on Wednesday, his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale said the presidency is watching closely with deep concern “the seeming autocratic contention apparently spreading across different regions of our beloved continent.”

Ngelale said the President as a man who has made significant personal sacrifices in his own life in the course of advancing and defending democracy is of the unwavering belief that power belongs in the hands of Africa’s great people and not in the barrel of a loaded gun.

He said the President “affirms that the rule of law and a faithful recourse to the constitutional resolutions and instruments of electoral dispute resolution must not at any time be allowed to perish from our great continent.

“To this end, the President is working very closely and continues to communicate with other Heads of States in the African Union towards a comprehensive consensus on the next steps forwards with respect to how the power in Gabon will play out and how the continent will respond to contagious autocracy we have seen spread across our continent.”