CITIZENS COMPASS – THE Nigerian Senate has reached a resolution rejecting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu request to deploy Nigerian troops in Niger Republic to restore democratic rule in that troubled country.
Rather the upper legislative chamber advised Mr Tinubu and the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), which he leads, to explore a political solution to the crisis.
The resolution confirms an earlier PREMIUM TIMES report that Senators had taken a decision opposing military action in Niger.
President Tinubu had on Friday sought the approval of the upper chamber to mobilise the Nigerian Army to Niger Republic to combat the Nigerien coupists who overthrew their democratically elected president, Mohammed Bazoum.
In a resolution after deliberating on Mr Tinubu’s request at a closed session Saturday, the Senate supported other steps being taking by Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to reverse the coup but rejected the option of a military action in the poor West African nation.
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, read the resolution after the lawmakers returned to plenary.
Me Akpabio suggested that the President did not seek the approval of the Senate to go to war in Niger Republic but that is incorrect because Mr Tinubu clearly indicated a plan to execute an ECOWAS mandate to deploy troops in Niger should the coupists remain recalcitrant.
“The Senate recognises the fact that the President Tinubu by virtue of the correspondence has not asked for approval of the parliament, approval of this Senate, to go to war as being erroneously suggested in some quarters,” Mr Akpabio said. “Rather Mr President and the Commander-in-Chief had expressed, and I quote: ‘a wish to respectfully solicit the support of the National Assembly in the successful implementation of the ECOWAS resolutions as outlined in the said communications.”
But in his letter to the Senate Friday, President Tinubu had listed the measures ECOWAS and Nigeria planned to take to restore democracy to Niger.
They include “Military build up and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they (coupist) remain recalcitrant.”
The resolutions read by the Senate President are as follows.
“The Senate commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other heads of states and government of the ECOWAS for their prompt response and the position taken on the unfortunate incident in Niger Republic
“The Senate calls on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and chairman of ECOWAS to further encourage other leaders of ECOWAS to strengthen the political and diplomatic options and other means to resolve the political logjam in Niger Republic.
“The National Assembly supports ECOWAS leadership under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in resolving the political situation in Niger and returning the country to a democratic governance in the near future.
“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 in view of the existing cordial relationship between Nigeriens and Nigerians.
Finally, the Senate calls on the ECOWAS parliament to rise to the occasion by equally condemning this coup and also providing solutions to resolve this logjam as soon as possible.”
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how senators, at a closed session on Saturday, rejected President Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to Niger Republic as part of an ECOWAS force to reinstate the democratically elected president of the country.
Mr Tinubu is coordinating ECOWAS’ response to the coup in Niger, including the implementation of the regional body’s sanctions imposed on the neighbouring country to mount pressure on the coupists to restore democracy in the country.
ECOWAS also imposed a no-fly zone on Niger as part of the sanction.
Although ECOWAS gave a seven-day ultimatum to the coupists to return power to Mr Bazoum, who is still being detained in the country by the junta, the regional body has also been sending emissaries to the junta to restore democracy in the troubled country.
–Premium Times
