Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has said that the member states of the West African regional bloc ECOWAS are ready to use force in coup-hit Niger, but he is the one “holding them back.”
Tinubu, who is the chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), says he wants to give dialogue a chance before resorting to other means of returning constitutional normalcy in Niger.
Terming the Niger leadership crisis “a serious situation”, Tinubu said in a statement on Wednesday: “If you take ECOWAS aside, other people will react, those who are outside of our control. I am the one holding those sides back. I am the one holding back ECOWAS.”
The president made the remarks after receiving a report from Nigerian Islamic scholars who separately met the Nigerien military rulers and deposed President Mohamed Bazoum last week.
Phone calls
“Even as of this morning, I have been inundated with phone calls on the readiness of countries with their military force and contributions. However, I told them to wait.
“I am meeting with the Ulamas (Nigerian Islamic scholars) and I will get back to you,” Tinubu said at Nigeria’s State House in the capital Abuja.
The head of state has urged the Islamic scholars, led by Sheikh Bala Lau, to “expedite dialogue with the military junta.”
Tinubu’s special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said the Islamic officials “had informed the president that the military junta was open to deepening dialogue with ECOWAS as more steps are being taken to forestall armed conflict.”
War ‘rumours’
Despite ECOWAS activating its standby force after the Niger coup leaders, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, defied orders to reinstate Bazoum, Tinubu says he is “at the forefront of a peaceful resolution of the crisis, even in the midst of more hawkish individuals urging swifter intervention.”
He described as “ethnic rumours” the claims that he is only focused on engaging in war with the neighbouring Niger.
Tinubu says the rumours are being “peddled by political figures inside and outside of Nigeria.”
The president, however, maintained that the coup against Bazoum was unconstitutional, and that a swift return to civilian rule is the best solution to the leadership crisis in Niger.
Another truce mission
“They (military rulers) cannot use the gun given to them to protect the sovereignty of the country and turn it against the people of the country,” he said.
Tinubu added that he will soon ask the Nigerian Islamic scholars to return to Niger and engage the military rulers in dialogue in efforts to end the Nigerien impasse.
The first-month mark of the Niger leadership crisis will be on Saturday, August 26. Ousted president, Bazoum, is still in detention, according to ECOWAS.
