Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has has that it is fair to say that the hegemony of the French in Africa is almost over.

His comment comes following the coup that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, August 30.

Members of the Gabon Armed Forces took to live television to announce that they had taken over power in the country.

The Gabon military noted that the seized power despite the results of the country's election on Saturday, August 26, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner.

President Ali Bongo was reported to have won 64.27 percent votes in the election, and his main opponent, Ondo Ossa had followed with 30.77 per cent of the votes.

However, observers had said that it was fraudulent as numerous polling stations opened hours late, amid claims of ballot slips not being deployed correctly and the authorities cutting internet service and imposing a night-time curfew after the vote. The country suspended broadcasts by French television on the election results.

Bongo inherited power from his father who was also French-backed, in 2009, and both father and son have been in control of the country for more than half a century.

Reacting to the coup happening in some francophone countries, Femi Fani-Kayode said;

"With events in Gabon today it is fair to say that the hegemony of the French in Africa is almost over. They have been challenged, humiliated, ridiculed, diminished, demystified and rubbished by most of their erstwhile African colonies and the hatred, contempt, opprobium and disdain that they attract from the overwhelming majority of Africans is mind-boggling and unprecedented.

"If they don't submit to the will of the African people, put their little French tails between their legs, bow down to the local population and beat a hasty and dignified retreat back to France with at least a measure of their dignity still intact they will be thrown out by the force of arms just as they were in Viet Nam and Algeria. The cry on the African continent today is liberty and freedom from the tyrannical bondage and venemous yoke of the French and deliverance from their perverted, pervasive and corrosive ways and systemic oppression.

“Simply put, Francophone Africans are no longer interested in being slaves or in being ruled by a series of vicious, corrupt, perfidious and barbaric puppet leaders, pseudo monarchs and life-time dictators who have sold their bodies, spirits and souls to the devil and their French masters. Kudos to them!” he tweeted.

With events in Gabon today it is fair to say that the hegemony of the French in Africa is almost over.

They have been challenged, humiliated, ridiculed, diminished, demystified and rubbished by most of their erstwhile African colonies and the hatred, contempt, opprobium and… pic.twitter.com/C7WvbPzpQ5

— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) August 30, 2023