Timi Frank gives reason for Guinea-Bissau coup, president’s arrest

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Timi Frank, a former deputy national publicity secretary for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused African leaders of being responsible for the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday that resulted in the detention of Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the country’s president.

Timi denounced the military coup in Guinea-Bissau, calling it an intolerable attack on democracy and a sign of the continent’s growing problems with administration.

Frank stated in a statement released in Abuja on Thursday that coups are still unlawful and unacceptable, but he also emphasized that African leaders and regional organizations must take responsibility for fostering the circumstances that lead to military interventions.

“I unequivocally condemn the coup in Guinea-Bissau. Military rule is never the answer,” said Frank, who recently became a Senior Advisor to the Global Friendship City Association (GFCA), USA.

He claimed that “rigged elections, constitutional manipulation, suppression of opposition, and leaders’ refusal to give up power” are to blame for the rise in coups, cautioning that these democratic failings give military the confidence to step in.

Frank criticized ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) for quickly condemning military takeovers while disregarding electoral fraud and constitutional violations by ruling governments.

“How do AU and ECOWAS condemn coups with moral authority when they look away as leaders rig elections, intimidate opponents and extend term limits illegally?”

“Democracy must be protected at the foundation, not only after it collapses,” he said.

Frank urged the junta in Guinea-Bissau to start an urgent transition and reinstate civilian administration within six months, while maintaining that no military action is ever appropriate.

“The military authorities must ensure stability and organise a free, fair and transparent election within 180 days,” he said.

He urged the US and other international allies to punish African governments that subvert democracy by manipulating elections or extending their terms illegally.

Frank also called for the AU to revert to the tenets of its founders, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Haile Selassie, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and Jomo Kenyatta, who envisioned a unified and responsible continent.

“The AU was created to unite Africa with one passport, one currency and one future. But that dream is stalled because many leaders have lost direction,” he lamented.

“Political coups— rigged elections and constitutional manipulation— are even more dangerous than military coups,” he warned. “Until leaders respect the will of the people, instability will continue”, Frank added.

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