Afenifere Denounces Military Coup Calls

Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organization, has denounced calls for a military takeover of the nation made by some of the people it claims are hiding behind the most recent hunger strike.

Comrade Jare Ajayi, the group’s national publicity secretary, stated in a statement that the nation’s democratic system “should not be truncated for any reason.”

According to Afenifere, certain states had violent protests that resulted in property damage and looting, and there were even reports of fatalities in certain regions.

It bemoaned the fact that some so-called “protesters” shamelessly waved Russian flags, while others insisted the flags’ insignia belonged to the Nigerian Army.

The statement says, “The message is more or less the same – inciting the taking over of government through an unconstitutional means, whether the flags belonged to Russia or the army.”

Afenifere went on, “How come they look in the direction of either the military or a foreign power? Since the demonstration was supposedly organized to press for an end to the hunger and other multifarious deprivations in the land? To believe that the military or a foreign force’s intervention will automatically end hunger in the country would be the height of self-delusion.

This is not even close to what can be achieved with a military regime. Thus, let’s give it a shot,” the group exclaimed.

According to Afenifere, the states of Edo, Rivers, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, Borno, Kano, and Yobe were among those where the protests took on a dimension that went against the “peaceful nature” that the organizers had promised.

It went on to say that in several of the northern states, there were open demands for a coup in addition to property being robbed and damaged.

Democracy, according to Afenifere, “is still the best in our current situation because of its inherent characteristics of making the people the custodians of political mandate,” even though the nation may not yet benefit from it. Because of its suppleness, different tendencies are permitted to exist as long as they stay within the bounds of the law.

“The message is essentially the same, encouraging the overthrow of government through an unconstitutional means, regardless of whether the flags belonged to the army or Russia,” Ajayi stated.

He said, “How come they look in the direction of either the military or a foreign power?,” given that the protest was supposedly intended to demand an end to hunger and several other forms of deprivation in the country. To believe that the military or a foreign power’s intervention will automatically end hunger in the country would be the height of self-delusion.