Former Chief Security Officer to the late General Sani Abacha and 2023 presidential candidate of the Action Alliance, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, has rejected calls for a military takeover in Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Al-Mustapha emphasized that military coups are outdated and have no place in the country’s future.
Addressing the current hardships faced by citizens due to the removal of the fuel subsidy, Al-Mustapha described the call for a military coup as a misplaced priority and reaffirmed his belief that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria.
He urged Nigerians to develop a system of government suited to their unique history and culture rather than imitating foreign models like those of the United States or the United Kingdom.
“I am by definition today, a politician. I am looking at this country today from a democratic sense. We have invested in it and we are investing in it. Our researches are all towards the investment of democratic excellence in Nigeria.”
He criticized the adoption of foreign governance systems, arguing that both the parliamentary and presidential systems are strange to our culture, to our history, to our background, to our understanding as a people.
He added, “How can you bring the same system and adopt it as yours? It would not work, it would be repulsive.”
“We need to chart our own course, we have to have a domestic type of democracy that will suit us and suit our future. That is what I am calling for but the issue of military is a no.”
He urged those advocating for a coup to focus their efforts on promoting military professionalism and subordination to democracy.
“Military subordination to democracy is a clear direction as the world is today.”
