Promiment Nigerian activists are expected to discuss the implications of the 2013 coup in Egypt at the first Colloquium in honour of former President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, which will be held virtually.
Morsi, a prominent leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, became the first democratically elected President of Egypt after winning the 2012 presidential election.
In 2013, General Abdul Fatah El-Sisi plotted and led a bloody coup that ousted his erstwhile boss, Morsi, barely a year after assumption of office.
Morsi breathed his last after battling acute and debilitating medical conditions in court on June 17, 2019, spending six straight years in jail, demanding for justice.
As part of its activities to sensitise Africans and the world on the effect of coup d’etat, Centre for Policy Intervention in Nigeria (CEPIA) has concluded all arrangements to stage its first virtual Colloquium tagged; Dr Muhammed Morsi Colloquium 2020.
Themed, The Military Coup in Egypt and its implications for Democracy in Africa, the colloquium will take place via Zoom on Saturday, June 20, 2020 by 11:00am
Director of the organisation, Mr Ismail Olawale, while speaking with Muslim News, said the Colloquium will help restore the rule of law, democracy and freedom in Egypt.
According to him, “It will help in facilitating the release of prisoners of conscience, including journalists who are being unjustifiably incarcerated in Egypt in particular and Africa in general.
“It will also encourage policy formulation that will promote democracy and good governance in Africa. And lastly, the Colloquium will strengthen consolidation of African Democratic Experience and the demilitarization of the continent, including Egypt.”

Panelists
Panelists for this Colloquium are top academics, researchers, analysts and activists across Nigeria and even beyond.
They are: Professor Ahmad Adedeji of the Department of Pharmacology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye; Professor Sylvester Odion Akhaine of the Department of Political Science, Lagos State University and Professor Sulaiman Muhammed, Vice Chancellor, Nassarawa State University, Keffi.
Others are: Dr Lukman AbdurRaheem of American University, Yola; Dr Lanre Omotayo of Havard University; Ayitomeka Anku Komla, Member, Pan African Council, Ghana; and Albert Sharra, award-winning journalist.
Speaking with Muslim News, one of the invited panelists, Dr Lukman AbdurRaheem gave background into the topic of discussion.
According to him, “Structurally, a lecturer in the ivory tower performs three roles in the society, namely: teaching, research and public services. I am therefore participating in this Colloquium on invitation by the organiser as a public affairs analyst/educator. Participation in worthy programmes of this nature is part of my social responsibility.
“With regards to expectations, the general public should watch out for truthful, frank and informed analysis based on historical facts and evidence-based information beyond the narrative of the totalitarian regime in Egypt and its compromised media apparatus.
“Specifically, I will contextualize the theatric removal of late President Muhammad Morsi in Egypt by the Tripod of the military, judiciary and bourgeoisie,” he said
Egypt since 1952
Historically, Egypt moved from a Monarchy to being a Republic in 1953. Unfortunately, the Republic was ruled by different autocratic totalitarian military governments, from Mohamed Naguib (June 1953 – November, 1954), Gamal Abdel Nasser (November 1954 – September, 1970), Anwar Sadat (October 1970 – October 1981), and Hosni Mubarak (October 1981- February 2011).
In January 2011 however, an unprecedented call for regime change popularly called the “Arab Spring” raged in Egypt, and consequently led to the ousting of the military-backed government of President Hosni Mubarak after three decades of bad governance.
Dr Lukman said, “So, many ideological groups including Dr. Morsi and his ideological group, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) participated in the agitation for regime change and swift return to democracy.
“Immediately the democratic transition process was unveiled by the military-controlled election body, the Muslim Brotherhood participated actively and fielded Dr Mosri as its presidential candidate. The choice of Dr Morsi was based on consensus decision guided by the antecedents of the candidate.
Muslim News finding revealed that Dr. Morsi’s personality was a perfect blend of sound western and Islamic education. Very few candidates had this outstanding pedigree and credential! This was the first crime of the MB, fielding an Islamist of unbeatable pedigree.
After the election, the MB candidate, Dr Morsi won 57% of the votes cast in spite of series of intimidations and political schemings. The adversaries of the MB refused to recognise the landmark defeat; they raised the issue of irregularities, and later passed a vote of no confidence in the electoral process.
In line with democratic ideal, Dr Morsi and his supporters followed due process in regaining the mandate. The tripod of military, judiciary and business elites/external collaborators recognised Dr. Morsi after they weighed the implications of denying him his mandate in democracy.
He was therefore sworn-in to the displeasure of the powerful military ruling class as the first democratically elected president in Egypt. This was the second crime; the MB beat the Tripod of confederates!
The Tripod regrouped and re-strategised to give the new President a political power without the requisite authority.
Dr Muhammed Morsi being a well-read intellectual with sound knowledge of the workings of democracy, therefore brilliantly initiated a constitutional review process to regain both political powers and authority using Executive Order – an approach inherited from the military government.
Morsi’s attempt to gain more power for reforms using Executive Order was hotly criticised, and he rescinded the approach and deployed constitutional process of getting the amendments approved by the Parliamentary Council dominated by MB members. The second approach succeeded to the displeasure of the military and their collaborators. This was the third crime!
In order to call a dog a bad name with intent to hange it, the tripod theatrically invented grievous criminal charges of intent to Islamize Egypt unconstitutionally (Brotherhoodization), unsubstantiated allegations of political excesses and record of espionage against the President.
This was secretly and cleverly conceived, planned and executed. The military intelligence planned and supervised the hatchet job, the judiciary provide legal enablement, the businessmen funded the coalition of civil society organisations that started the incitement of Egyptians against Morsi’s MB-led government and the media relayed the propaganda. The rest is history.
This unjust theatrics of the military in Egypt was kept away from the public, but which are published in well-researched papers and in Middle East Monitors (MEMO) and other reliable records of civil rights organisations is what we intend to unveil as analysts including the implications on democracy in Africa.
By Abdulganiy Abdullah