Probably rattled by the the increasing spike of regime changes in recent times in African countries, President Buhari today summoned Security Chiefs in a meeting in Aso Rock hours after the Sudanese President, Muhammed Al Bashir, threw in the towel as the military took over power in Sudan for the next two years.
Bashir thus joined other Africans that lost their seats due to protests, where the military aligned with the people to oust a sitting president. He joins Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Hosni Mubarack of Egypt, Abdelazeez Bouteflika of Algeria, and Yahya Jammeh of Gambia. All these leaders left office in a similar style.
In Kenya, the Supreme Court had nullified the re election of a sitting president in a historic ruling which, incidentally, was the first in Africa. It then became a major historical landmark for the Opposition, Raila Odinga, who filed and pursued a protest case right up to the supreme Court.
Nigeria’s chief opposition leader, Atiku Abubakar, has also filed a case against Buhari challenging the March 2019 presidential election.
Coming on the heels of the Sudanese crisis, Buhari has summoned the Security Chiefs without letting out the agenda of the meeting. Suggestions, however, was that it is meant to discuss the escalating Security situation in the country. There has been bloodbath in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Borno. Bandits, formally called Fullani Herdsmen, have been rampaging in Zamfara and Kaduna, with the government helplessly complaining about the complicity of Traditional rulers. No arrests have been made in all cases, and Boko Haram had intensified attacks in their strongholds since President Buhari told the world that no state is being held by Boko Haram. “I am the most unhappy President alive”, Buhari was reported to have said about the attacks. The army had claimed they are bombing the strongholds of the “bandits”. Analysts believe that the emergency meeting may have more to do with the Al Bashir threat than the Bandit effect. “If it were the bandits, he would have summoned the meeting immediately he came back from his foreign trip”, an analyst told this magazine. “His summoning the meeting immediately Al Bashir was forced out by the Military speaks Volumes”.
Buhari had returned yesterday from a foreign trip. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was also out of the Country, together with the Senate President Buhkola Saraki. The Country was therefore left without head during the time they were away.
In attendance in the meeting that reportedly started around 11.00 am today were the National security adviser, Babagana Monguno; Director National Intelligence Agency, the Director General, Department Of Security Services, Acting Inspector General Of Police, and the Minister of Defense, Mansur Dan Ali.
All the Service Chiefs are in attendance.
