Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has warned Nigerians against comparing the flaws during the just concluded 2023 general election in the country to the recent coup in the Republic of Niger.
According to him, many Nigerians who go on social media to get clicks and likes will go to jail should a coup happen in the country.
Lagos reporters reported on Friday that Niger’s military General Abdourahmane Tchiani declared himself as the new head of a transitional government in the West African country.
The development is coming two days after President Mohamed Bazoum’s presidential guard restricted access to the presidential residence and offices.
The military has since detained the democratically elected President Bazoum despite a series of calls for calm by international bodies.
Reacting to the development, Keyamo, in a tweet on Saturday morning, said a coup d’etat could not be a solution to disputed elections in Africa.
The former Minister insists that it is not acceptable to support a coup under any guise. Keyamo urged everyone, whether as members of the opposition or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party, to outrightly reject and condemn the coup in the Niger Republic.
He stressed 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.
Keyamo observed that while there are constitutional means to seek redress in a disputed election, there is no means to seek redress for a coup
