President Bola Tinubu has formally informed the National Assembly regarding ECOWAS’ planned military intervention and additional sanctions against the military officials who recently executed a coup in Niger Republic.
This notification was conveyed through an official letter addressed to the Senate, which was presented during a plenary session by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Friday.
The move is coming despite warnings by Nigerians and several countries to Tinubu, not to sanction a military action against Niger.
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The letter, which bears the caption, “Political situation in Niger” reads partly:
“Following the unfortunate political situation in Niger Republic culminating in the overthrow of its President, ECOWAS under my leadership condemned the coup in its entirety and resolved to seek the return of the democratically elected govt. in a bid to restore peace, ECOWAS convened a meeting and came out with a communiqué.
“Closure and monitoring of all land borders with Niger Republic and reactivating of the border drilling exercise.
“Cutting off Electricity supply to Niger Republic
“Mobilizing international support for the implementation of the provisions of the ECOWAS communiqué
“Preventing the operation of commercial and special flights into and from Niger Republic.
“Blockade of goods in transit to Niger especially from Lagos and eastern seaports.
“Embarking on sensitization of Nigerians and Nigeriens on the imperative of these actions particularly via social media
“Military buildup and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they remain recalcitrant.”
On July 26, 2023, a coup d’état unfolded in Niger, leading to the arrest of President Mohamed Bazoum and the establishment of General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the leader of a newly formed military junta.
This has resulted in a diplomatic row with many countries, including Niger neighbors Nigeria. Both the African Union and the Economic Committee of West African States (ECOWAS) have been engaging Niger in talks while exploring military options.
During their recent meeting on Sunday, regional leaders in West Africa imposed sanctions on the individuals behind the coup, and they granted the military junta a one-week ultimatum to relinquish control or potentially face a military intervention.
Niger has severed ties with Nigeria, Togo, France, and the United States in response to the sanctions announced by those countries.
Nigeria has been leading the way as pressure mounts on the coupists to restore the democratic elected president Bazoum. With the majority of Western countries in support of a military action in Niger, Tinubu, who had earlier warned that coup will no longer be tolerated in Africa, appears determined to remove the junta.
However, Nigerians are showing their displeasure over the move, which many see as a way Tinubu, who doubles as the AU Chairman, wants to receive recognition from the West. Tinubu’s election is being contested in the Presidential Election Tribunal (PEPT) due to allegations of rigging, and many world leaders have refused to recognize his presidency based on that.
Nigerians believe that the country already has enough to contend in its fight against terrorists that is far from being won. Starting a fresh conflict with Niger, amid the economic crisis currently rocking the nation, is not a move Nigerians want the president to make.
“The crisis in the Republic of Niger requires diplomatic engagements, and that must mean that the channels for dialogue should be well sustained,” former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said.
“While the world expects Nigeria to take a leading role in this process of peaceful conflict resolution, it must be clear to the military insurrectionists in the Republic of Niger that the world cannot afford to wait for too long before this crisis is resolved reasonably.”
Former Senator Shehu Sani said senators should weigh the implications and consequences of their decisions, especially those senators representing states along the Niger Border.
“The Nigerian Senate should NOT approve any military action against Niger Republic. This country should not be plunged into war and eventually stuck in war in the Sahel. President Tinubu shouldn’t allow himself to be misled by foreign powers. Saudi in Yemen, America in Afghanistan and now Russia in Ukraine should teach us a lesson that war doesn’t end in days, weeks or months,” he said.