Coup not solution to disputed elections – Keyamo

A former Minister of Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has warned that a coup d’etat could not be a solution to disputed elections in Africa, insisting it is not acceptable to support a coup under any guise.

Keyamo urged everyone, whether as members of the opposition or the ruling party, to outrightly reject and condemn the coup in Niger Republic.

The former Minister claimed that those who think they have scored a point by comparing the coup to their so-called narrative of a flawed election in Nigeria should know that they are cutting their noses to spite their faces.

In a statement on his verified Twitter handle on Saturday, Keyamo stated that while there are constitutional means to seek redress in a disputed election, there is no means to seek redress for a coup

He wrote, “We all have a duty, whether as members of the opposition or the ruling party, to outrightly reject and condemn the coup in Niger Republic.

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“Those who think they have scored a point by comparing the coup to their so-called narrative of a flawed election in Nigeria should know that they are cutting their noses to spite their faces. A coup does not overthrow only the President alone; a coup overthrows all levels of constitutional governments in a country, including the governments formed by the Opposition parties themselves at different levels of governments after winning elections at those levels.

“In fact those who take a fancy in appealing to the mob on social media to get ‘clicks and likes’ will be in jail if a coup happens and will not even have such opportunity again to speak their minds.

“The earlier we realise that a coup d’etat is not a solution to disputed elections in Africa, the better for us. Almost all elections in Africa have always been disputed anyway. Whilst there are constitutional means to seek redress in a disputed election, there is no means to seek redress for a coup, because even the Constitution itself would be suspended when a coup happens.”