Aisha Somtochukwu Yesufu, a renowned Nigerian activist known for her co-founding role in the BringBackOurGirls movement, took to Twitter to express her strong views on the African Union’s recent decision to suspend Gabon following a military coup in the country.
Yesufu’s tweet resonated with her advocacy for social justice and good governance across the African continent. In her tweet, she stated, “African Union has not shown that it is there for the benefit of the African people but rather it is there for the regime protection of African leaders.”
This statement reflects her concern that the AU’s actions may prioritize the protection of entrenched regimes over the welfare and democratic aspirations of the African populace.

Yesufu went on to question the AU’s effectiveness in addressing situations where leaders have remained in power for decades, despite the need for democratic change. She asked, “How can we have countries that have been ruled for decades by the same person and yet African Union does nothing!”
Full tweet
African Union has not shown that it is there for the benefit of the African people but rather it is there for the regime protection of African leaders.
How can we have countries that have been ruled for decades by the same person and yet African Union does nothing!
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) September 1, 2023