By Augustine Akhilomen

Former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani have condemned the coup attack that took place in Mali.

Recall that on Tuesday, Mali’s president announced his resignation and the dissolution of the national assembly on state television, shortly after he and the prime minister were arrested by mutinous soldiers in what the European Union described as an attempted coup.

The president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, and the prime minister, Boubou Cissé, were seized on Tuesday evening after a day of confusion and chaos in a country already facing a jihadist insurgency and mass protests.

Reacting to the development on Wednesday via his twitter handle, Ekweremadu stated that the development could pose danger to democracies in Africa.

“The military intervention in the political disagreements in Mali, which ultimately led to the arrest, detention, and forced resignation of President Ibrahim Keita, is most unfortunate and roundly condemnable.

“The unfolding culture of using military to settle political scores should worry all as this is Mali’s second military coup in eight years, having passed through the same experience in 2012.

“Capture of power by undemocratic means is against the letters and spirit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance as well as the provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. Our military must, therefore, come to terms with these and the fact that days of unconstitutional takeover of power in any part of the sub-region were long over.”

“Besides, Africa’s experience clearly shows that military coups are ill wind that blows no one any good. They come disguised as solutions, but end up as bigger problems, destroying the economy and engendering misgovernance, human rights abuse, and political instability”.

The Senator representing the Enugu West Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate said he was in support of sanctions and any other necessary steps by ECOWAS, African Union, and the international community to tame military excesses and restore democratic rule in the West African nation.

“The ECOWAS decision to shut down land and air borders with Mali and its decision to demand sanctions against all the coups plotters and their partners are very much in order.

“I enjoin other members of the international community and all lovers of democracy and freedom to stand up to be counted in this affront to democracy, bearing in mind that the evolving culture of coups in Mali could contaminate other fledgling democracies on the African continent, particularly the West African sub-region”, he added.

In the same vein, Sani has reacted to the ouster of Mali’s President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.

Sani via his twitter handle on Wednesday stated that this should be a wake-up call to African leaders.

“Whenever we say coup is outdated then we see it updated.”