Lagos Residents Would Resist Military Coup- Tinubu

At a special parliamentary session organised by the state House of Assembly to mark the 50th anniversary of Lagos , the former governor of Lagos, Bola Ahmed Tinubu noted that Nigeria has gone too far democratically to allow anti-democratic forces into governance. He, therefore, advised those behind the clandestine move for a coup to perish the idea in their interest.

Tinubu is among the politicians still standing, who went great lengths to battle the military following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and caused the dawn of this democracy in 1999. His statement yesterday is a clear indication that a section of the political class may find the courage to resist any unconstitutional means by the military to terminate Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.

The politician was apparently reacting to a recent remark by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Burutai, insinuating that he had received “information that some individuals have been approaching some officers and soldiers for undisclosed political reasons.”
The army chief had cautioned the promoters of the devious act against politicising the military just as he warned officers and soldiers “interested in politics to resign their commission or apply for voluntary discharge forthwith.”

According to Tinubu, coup plotters would not get ready supporters, because a lot of people sustained injuries and sacrificed their lives for the country to have its democracy.

Tinubu said: “But amid the celebration, I would be remiss if I failed to sound a caution to us all. This precious thing called democracy that we are now trying to perfect is not guaranteed to us. We must sweat hard yet think wisely if we are to keep it. There will always be some people who want to undermine democracy.  These people gain more from government in the dark and by the few than in government in the light and by the many.  Just a few days ago we heard a warning that some people were trying to entice the military out of the barracks.

“I want to add my voice to that warning. Those who think they can break the democracy for which so many laboured and which too many sacrificed limb and life, are sorely mistaken. Nigeria has come too far for such a thing.

“You people will find no fertile ground to plant your weeds in Lagos.  We will not buy the sad product you are selling. Move on from here I say! Move on from here Lagos says!  Move away from it, don’t think about it, we say!”

Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2015 election in the state, Jimi Agbaje, urged caution over the coup scare. According to him, there is the need to allow the citizens get used to democracy and whatever challenges that are confronting the country, as they could be surmounted with time.

He cautioned those nursing such an ambition of a coup to desist in the interest of peace, progress and unity of the country. “There is no need for any military intervention or unconstitutional government for now since our democracy has fledged for 18 years and we are coping,” Agbaje submitted.