*Urges Tinubu, ECOWAS to exhaust all diplomatic options
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has said that President Bola Tinubu did not approach the Senate for permission to go to war in Niger over the recent coup d’etat as is been peddled in some quarters, but rather, on how best to resolve the current political impasse.
Akpabio, who announced the resolutions on Saturday after a closed-door meeting which lasted for about two hours with the President Tinubu, urged him, as Chairman of ECOWAS, to encourage other ECOWAS leaders to further explore political and diplomatic options and other means towards resolving the political impasse in Niger Republic.
The upper chamber also called on the ECOWAS Parliament to rise to the occasion by equally condemning the coup and also proffer solutions to resolve the impasse quickly.
Niger President Mohamed Bazoum was on July 26, overthrown by his presidential guards.
Akpabio said: “We discussed with President Bola Tinubu, who also doubles as the Chairman of ECOWAS and requested for support in the implementation of the resolutions of ECOWAS on the political situation in Nigeria and resolve as follows:
“The leadership of the Senate is mandated to further engage with the President and Commander-in-Chief on behalf of the Senate and National Assembly on how best to resolve the issues.
“This is in view of the hitherto existing cordial relationship between Nigeriens and Nigerians.
“The Senate commends President Bola Tinubu and other Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS for their prompt response and the positions taken on the unfortunate development in Niger Republic.
“The Senate recognises the fact that President Tinubu, by virtue of his correspondence had not asked for the approval of the parliament or approval of this Senate to go to war as is been erroneously suggested in some quarters.
“Rather, Mr President and Commander-in-Chief had expressed and I quote: “I wish to respectfully solicit the support of the National Assembly in the successful implementation of the ECOWAS resolutions as outlined in the said communications.”
The Senate President also said that the Senate condemned in totality the military coup that took place recently in Niger.
Tinubu had in a letter to the Senate on Friday, conveyed the decisions of the ECOWAS on recent military intervention in Niger.
The ECOWAS decision is contained in a letter addressed to the President of Senate and read at plenary on Friday.
”I do have the honour to inform you, that following the unfortunate political situation in Niger Republic culminating in the overthrow of the administration of His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoum on 26 July 2023.
“The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), under my leadership condemns the coup in its entirety and resolved alongside other members of the international community to seek the return of a democratically elected government in Niger,” the letter stated.
