Tinubu’s Government Is Terrible – Kenneth Okonkwo Speaks On Attempted Coup In Nigeria

Kenneth Okonkwo, the veteran Nollywood actor and politician, has stated that there is no benefit in supporting a military coup in Nigeria.

Speaking via a statement released on Sunday, via his 𝕏 account, Okonkwo said Nigerians are truly yearning for a change because the current crop of leaders has not demonstrated competence in addressing the challenges facing the citizens or shown care about the plight of the people.

According to him, the incumbent government of President Bola Tinubu may be terrible, but historically, Nigeria has gained nothing from military interventions except tears and blood.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain lamented that the government is riddled with incompetence and corruption.

He submitted that when the military conducts a coup, they will say nice things to the people and horrible things about the politicians, but once they also assume power, they turn around and do worse than the same civilians they were pretending to intervene to save.

Okonkwo spoke against the recent confirmation by the Defence Headquarters that some military officers have been arrested in connection with an attempted coup against President Tinubu.

He submitted that while there are a lot of things happening in Nigeria that are very disconcerting and which genuinely create disaffection and disenchantment in the citizens towards their leaders, the only way out is for everyone, including the military, to work together to ensure free and fair elections which will produce legitimate elected leaders who will make the security and welfare of the people its priority.

The politician concluded that, despite the prevailing situation, the era of military dictatorship or military coup is over in Nigeria.

He wrote, “There is no doubt that there are a lot of things happening in Nigeria that are very disconcerting and which genuinely create disaffection and disenchantment in the citizens towards their leaders. Would you mention which one and leave the other? From the insecurity challenges which result in the death and destruction of lives and property of the Nigeria citizens while the leaders are busy enjoying their holidays abroad, to the incessant power grid collapses which result in national blackouts that throw the nation in darkness, rendering production and productivity impossible, to the obnoxious borrowing of money from both within and outside Nigeria which is stolen by officials of government and rendering Nigeria a debtor nation without infrastructure to show for the borrowing, to the abhorrable and prohibitive transportation cost and flight tickets which make movement around Nigeria tearful, to the bad roads which make road journeys a death trap, to the lies which the government tells to cover up its incompetence and corruption.

“It is really a sad time for Nigerians.There’s no doubt that Nigerians are yearning for a change. We can’t continue to move in this direction. However, of what benefit will be a change that will take us from the frying pan to fire? There’s no doubt that rigging of election is a form of civilian coup. However, of what benefit would we have to exchange a civilian coup with a military coup? Supporting a military coup because of allegations of rigging elections is like approving armed robbery by some people if they concentrate on robbing only fellow armed robbers who robbed the people. No! Robbery is robbery, no matter who is robbing and who’s being robbed. On the day the robbers can no longer find their normal target, they will switch to another target. This is why when the military conducts a coup, they will say nice things to the people and horrible things about the politicians. They may even kill some of the politicians. But immediately, the politicians are out of the way, they turn their guns against the same civilians they were pretending to intervene to save.

“There’s nothing Nigeria has gained from military interventions except tears and blood. None of the military leaders who promised to hand over power to a democratically elected government kept the promise on the date they promised.Why would the military even want to physically overthrow a civilian government when the military helps to rig the election that brings it in?

“Tinubu’s government may be terrible, but everyone knows the terminal date for the regime. Nobody knows the time any military regime will end. The only way out of every evil regime in Nigeria is for everyone, including the military, to work together to ensure free and fair elections which will produce legitimate elected leaders whose objective will be the security and welfare of the people. The era of military dictatorship in Nigeria is over.”