- MURIC urges them not to be tempted to follow in the footsteps of his Gabonese counterpart
- The group argues that a coup in Nigeria would be seen as an attack on Muslims
Islamic Rights Concern (MURIC) has argued that any attempt to seize power through the barrel of a gun would be ethnically predisposed.
It comes as the group advised the Nigerian military not to emulate the Gabonese army, which toppled President Ali Bongo on Wednesday in a bloodless coup d’état.
The Bongo family has ruled the Central African country for fifty-six years.
Reacting to Wednesday’s developments, MURIC Chief Executive Officer, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in a statement called on those in the Nigerian military to remain apolitical.
He urged them to shrug off the temptation of following in the footsteps of their Gabonese counterpart, adding that a coup in Nigeria would be seen as an attack on Muslims.
“While we frown upon the syndrome adopted by the Bongo family in Gabon and some African countries, we strongly condemn this military coup.
MURIC advises the Nigerian military to remain apolitical and resist the temptation to emulate the Gabonese military through any coup in Nigeria.
“Any Nigerian soldier who is considering a coup under the current regime is doing so for selfish reasons.
It is noteworthy that the Nigerian political firmament is absolutely different from that of Gabon where the Bongo dynasty has been in power for more than 50 years.
“A military coup against the current Muslim-Muslim ticket will be interpreted as a direct attack on the Muslims in the country considering the deep religious sentiments that spread in the controversy surrounding the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“The current coup in Nigeria will create a religious stigma.
Nigeria has not recovered from the unilateral anti-Northern coup of January 15, 1966 organized by Igbo soldiers and the retaliatory counter-coup of July 1966 carried out mainly by soldiers of Northern origin,” Akintola said.
He said the Nigerian Army is a well-trained and highly professional war machine and Nigerians are proud of them.
The MURIC chief noted that the hands of the Nigerian military are already occupied with clashes with Boko Haram, insurgents and other security threats, and therefore cannot afford to add political interference to its challenges.
“The army should not bite off more than it can swallow.
We call on the rulers of Nigeria to borrow a leaf from what happened in Gabon, Niger, Mali etc.
Good governance has become mandatory for leaders.
We must alleviate poverty, hunger and disease in our country,” Akintola said.
Within Nigeria
