President Ali Bongo’s family has been in power for 53 years.

Appearing on state television channel Gabon 24, the officers said they represented all security and defence forces in the Central African nation.

The soldiers said the election results were cancelled, all borders closed until further notice and state institutions dissolved.

“In the name of the Gabonese people … we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime,” the officers said.

Tensions were high after Saturday’s presidential, parliamentary, and legislative vote, which saw Bongo claim victory, extending his family’s 56-year grip on power.

The opposition claimed multiple electoral malpractices and have been pushing for change in the oil and cocoa-rich but poverty-stricken nation.

A lack of international observers, the suspension of some foreign broadcasts, and the authorities’ decision to cut internet service and impose a night-time curfew nationwide after the poll raised concerns about the transparency of the electoral process, prompting the soldiers to take over government.

The coup makes Gabon the latest African country to be taken over by the military following Burkina Faso, Mali, and the latest Niger Republic, which has prompted threats of an invasion by the Nigeria led ECOWAS bloc.

The post Another Coup In Africa As Soldiers Takeover Power In Gabon appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

In a statement signed by its National Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, told President Muhammadu Buhari administration to rather live up to the responsibilities of the office.

PDP accused the Presidency of engaging in frivolous allegations against Nigerians rather than taking charge and securing the nation.

“It is however imperative to state that the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress are being haunted by their own shadows as Nigerians know the persons as well as the political party with the history and penchant to scuttle democratically elected government.”

“Perhaps, the Presidency has forgotten that in 1983, Brigadier Muhammadu Buhari, as he was then known, led a military coup to truncate a democratically elected government thereby causing our nation a huge drawback on democratic governance.

“Also, in 2015, the All Progressives Congress, which was hurriedly formulated, made itself available as a vehicle of brigandage to disrupt our political process by beguiling Nigerians and taking power through violence, propaganda, and falsehood.

“Even in 2019, Nigerians will be quick to remember how the All Progressives Congress imported bandits, vandals, and thugs from neighboring countries, as political mercenaries, to unleash violence, disrupt our voting processes, and muscle itself to power.”

PDP, however, counseled Buhari’s Presidency and the APC to “look inwards as all fingers toward any possible plots to upturn our democracy point to them.”

According to PDP, the allegation made by Buhari’s Presidency was an attempt by APC to “heighten political tension in Nigeria ahead of the 2023 election, having realized that they cannot face the people at the polls.”

PDP, however, advised APC to know that “such blackmail against Nigerians cannot help their cause.”

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