Laolu Akande, former spokesman to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has urged politicians not to attempt a coup against President Bola Tinubu.
He advised those displeased with the president’s leadership to express their grievances through the ballot rather than unconstitutional means.
Akande made the statement on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, on the 23rd of October, 2025, while reacting to reports that some senior military officials and soldiers had been detained over an alleged coup attempt against the president.
According to Akande: “On the issue of the allegations around the coup, the military itself has said that they are detaining senior officers, including, as we have been told, a brigadier general and others.
Some reports say 16, some say 20, that doesn’t happen regularly. So, you know, people are entitled to some informed speculation.
But what I want to say is that if it is true that there was an attempt to have a coup, then we must commend the military intelligence for nipping it in the bud, and we must commend the leadership of the military for taking care of that.
The second point that I would like to make is that those who are opposed to the Tinubu administration or those who have differences with our current civilian leaders, they should go and fight them in the polls.
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We don’t want the coup to be used to settle our political differences anymore. If you don’t like what the president is doing, if you feel that he’s going in a direction that is not in the interest of our country, don’t do a coup. Don’t go and support a coup, don’t clamour for a coup, don’t embrace a coup.
Go to the polls. If you’re a politician, go and defeat Tinubu at the polls. If you’re a Nigerian, go and register to vote.
This is how we ought to do it. We must raise our voices loud and clear against military intervention in politics. What do you make, though, of calls for transparency? I mean, I saw the post.”
Akande stressed that democracy must be protected and that political disputes should be settled through elections, not force.