The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in Nigeria’s last general elections, Peter Obi, has finally weighed in on the coup crisis in Niger Republic.
The two-term former governor of Anambra State issued a statement on Twitter on Sunday, expressing his thoughts on the matter and proffering solutions. Like many other well-meaning Nigerians who have spoken on the crisis in Niger, Obi called for “a total diplomatic solution.”
He said regardless of “the positions taken by various parties” that have “direct or tangential interests in Niger”, primacy must be given to “dialogue and diplomacy” towards a resolution with minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in the wake of the July 26 coup, had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Niger military junta to restore the deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum to power or face sanctions and possible military response.
Following the expiration of the ultimatum, ECOWAS leaders made a move to activate the military intervention by ordering the deployment of their standby troops amid growing calls for dialogue.
Obi, who described Niger as “a hot-button issue for ECOWAS, as well as various international interlocutors,” noted that the diplomatic resolution must take into consideration the realpolitik of the West African sub-region.
He said it is important that the people of Niger are allowed via their national institutions the opportunity to revert quickly to a representative democratic government.
Read his full statement below:
“Recent developments in the neighboring Niger Republic have become the subject of international attention. For Nigeria, this development is a matter of dire and urgent national interest and security.
“Inevitably, Niger is a hot-button issue for ECOWAS, as well as various international interlocutors. Regardless of the positions taken by various parties that have direct or tangential interests in Niger, primacy must be given to dialogue and diplomacy towards a resolution with minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
“A total diplomatic resolution must take into consideration the realpolitik of the West African sub-region. I applaud the respective mediatory efforts by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, and His Royal Highness Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
“Whereas ECOWAS authorities have indicated that they remain open to various conflict resolution options, diplomacy must remain the overarching imperative in resolving the present crisis.
“I join the many well-meaning Nigerians who have advocated that any intervention in the crisis, should be pre-eminently through diplomatic dialogue among all strategic interests in the crisis.
“It is therefore important that the people of Niger are allowed via their national institutions, the opportunity to revert quickly to a representative democratic government.
“All national, regional, and international assistance should be extended to the people of Niger to return their country to normalcy.
“While ECOWAS must seek to discourage the spread of military dictatorships in West Africa, the recourse to armed deterrence must be retrained by multilateral diplomatic mechanisms.
“What the situation in Niger urgently calls for is a concerted multilateral coalition of Nigeria, ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN towards a programmed return to a democratic constitutional order. In this process, Nigeria’s leadership role must not be in any doubt.”