The United States Consul General in Nigeria, Will Stevens, says the rising military takeovers in Africa is due to the refusal of some leaders to relinquish power after spending decades in government.
The Diplomat made the statement in Ogun State while addressing students during the launch of the “Recycling Waste to Wealth Challenge,” competition for secondary school students.
According to Mr Stevens, a number of African presidents have spent between 20 and 40 years in the government and have failed to relinquish powers – an action which he says leads to democratic instability and coups.
He, however, noted that Nigeria has enjoyed 25 years of uninterrupted peaceful democratic succession, which he finds worthy of emulation.
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According to him, the African continent faces huge challenges, ranging from climate change to food insecurity, and only democratic stability can help in resolving these problems.
He called on African leaders to embrace the tenets of democratic and ensure a peaceful transition of power.
Since 2020, Africa has experienced coups in seven countries with the most recent one recorded in Gabon in August.
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