Politics
Coup rumours debunked as Côte d’Ivoire’s President chairs cabinet meeting
President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire on Wednesday presided over a council of ministers meeting at the presidential palace in Abidjan, the Ivorian capital.
The Ivorian presidency confirmed Ouattara’s attendance in a statement it issued, including pictures showing the president and cabinet members at the meeting.
False rumours of a military coup spread rapidly across social media platforms in Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d’Ivoire, whilst the government meeting took place.
Among other issues, officials addressed the diversification of electricity sources and adequate housing for citizens at the meeting.
An X user claimed that Ouattara may have been killed after military forces allegedly took over on Tuesday.
“Internet access in the country has been disrupted,” the user wrote.
Multiple accounts spread the allegations via various social media platforms, including X, Facebook, TikTok, and mainstream media platforms.
On Facebook alone, some 9,700 users discussed the alleged coup, the platform’s metric showed as of Wednesday.
The rumours also claimed that Lassina Doumbia, the chief of army staff, had died.
The Cable spoke to journalists in the French-speaking West African country to confirm the development. They debunked the reports.
“There is no coup in Côte d’Ivoire. The country is stable,” Christelle Kouamé, an Ivorian journalist living in Abidjan, said.
Kouamé is also a member of the executive council of the National Union of Journalists of Côte d’Ivoire and a member of the organisation of Investigative Journalists in Côte d’Ivoire.
“The president was also recently at the opening of the Africa CEO Forum. It was last week. There was even a council of ministers today. And President Ouattara was there,” she added.
“It is fake news. People do what they want with the internet. But it is thanks to the internet that I speak to you,” she said, debunking rumours of disrupted internet access.
Coup rumours have become increasingly common in West Africa, reflecting a region grappling with political instability, weakened democratic institutions, and growing public distrust in civilian governments.
In recent years, several countries—including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea—have seen successful military takeovers, fuelling speculation and anxiety in neighbouring states about who might be next.
Ivory Coast’s coup rumours came as the country prepares to host the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) annual meetings next week.
Officials will elect a new president, succeeding Akinwumi Adesina, who has served two terms.
Chairman, Policy Manifesto Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, John Odigie-Oyegun, says former president Muhammadu Buhari gave him the shock of his life, six months into his administration as Nigeria’s leader.
Oyegun made this disclosure on Friday when he featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.
He revealed that as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he went to tell Buhari that he was not delivering his election promises to Nigerians but that the late president told him he would not rule with strictness, but rather wanted to show Nigerians that he is a true civilian president.
The former APC National Chairman lamented that it became business as usual, from there.
“I was national chairman of the APC. Six months or less into our assuming office, fairly alarmed, I went to the late President Buhari for a one-on-one talk. I said Mr President, this is not what the people were expecting. They wanted a bit of the old president Buhari.
“And he explained to me, Mr Chairman, I have learned my lesson. I was shocked. And don’t forget at that time, a lot of prominent Nigerians took their holidays abroad, just to be sure and see what this new sheriff in town will be.
“Buhari told me he wants to now show the people that he’s a true civilian president in Agbada. And by the time we finished the conversation, I said Oh God, we are finished. Because, if he’s not ready to be strict, what’s the point?
“Weeks later, months later, years later, I was proven correct. And of course, it became business as usual, only that they are a new set of tenants in Aso Rock. That was a shocker,” he said.
Former lawmaker, Dino Melaye Esq, has raised concerns over the Senate’s reported rejection of the electronic transmission of election results.
The move, according to Melaye, is a clear endorsement of election rigging and an indication of a sinister plan to rig the 2027 elections.
In a statement on Friday, the former lawmaker criticized the Senate’s decision, stating that it undermines the credibility of the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC chieftain, also stated that the move opens the door for electoral manipulation and fraud.
He further warned that the rejection of electronic transmission of results is a step backwards for democracy in Nigeria.
Melaye called on lawmakers and citizens to stand up against “this blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people and ensure that future elections are free, fair, and transparent”.
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has said Nigerians have every reason to be mad at the Senate over the ongoing debate on e-transmission of election results.
Ezekwesili made this known on Friday when she featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’ monitored by DAILY POST.
DAILY POST reports that the Senate on Wednesday turned down a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill that aimed to compel the electronic transmission of election results.
Reacting to the matter, Ezekwesili said, “The fundamental issue with the review of the Electoral Act is that the Senate retained the INEC 2022 Act, Section 60 Sub 5.
“This section became infamous for the loophole it provided INEC, causing Nigerians to lose trust. Since the law established that it wasn’t mandatory for INEC to transmit electoral results in real-time, there wasn’t much anyone could say.
“Citizens embraced the opportunity to reform the INEC Act, aiming to address ambiguity and discretionary opportunities for INEC. Yet, the Senate handled it with a “let sleeping dogs lie” approach. The citizens have every reason to be as outraged as they currently are.”
How Buhari shocked me 6 months into his administration – Oyegun
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