The divisions within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) parliament regarding the appropriate course of action to address the political crisis in the Republic of Niger have become starkly apparent.
As reported by PUNCH on Saturday, a virtual extraordinary meeting convened, drawing the participation of twenty- two parliamentarians who gathered to deliberate on strategies to resolve the turmoil in the West African nation.
While the assembly encompassed a spectrum of viewpoints, there was a clear schism between those advocating for dialogue and diplomacy and those advocating for more assertive measures to curb the emergence of coup d’ états within the region.
Amid this discourse, the first Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon Idris Wase, firmly voiced his opposition to military intervention in Niger.
His sentiment was echoed by some parliamentarians who contended that military involvement would invariably lead to considerable adversity.
Notably, a member of the Nigerian delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Ali Ndume, seized the opportunity to criticize Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who holds the position of ECOWAS chairman.
According to PUNCH, Ndume castigated President Tinubu for unilaterally shutting the Nigerian- Niger border and disconnecting the power supply to Niger, actions that were executed without obtaining approval from the National Assembly.
This discord within the Nigerian delegation further underscored the multifaceted nature of the deliberations.
A pivotal development emanated from the extraordinary meeting, wherein President Tinubu highlighted that ” no option is taken off the tables including the use of force as the last resort. “
These words were part of his closing remarks, as reported by PUNCH, encapsulating the gravity of the decisions confronting the ECOWAS leaders.
The assembly resolved to enforce and oversee sanctions on the military junta in the Republic of Niger and decreed the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to reinstate constitutional order within the nation.
Omar Alieu Touray, the President of ECOWAS, articulated the collective resolution of the bloc in response to the Niger coup. Touray’ s declaration, communicated after the meeting held in Abuja, carried considerable weight as it signaled the organization’ s unwavering stance.
The bloc further appealed to the African Union, partner countries, and institutions to lend their support to this regional resolution.
However, despite these stern actions, ECOWAS expressed its regret over the unsuccessful attempts to initiate peaceful dialogue with the military junta in Niger.
Amid this firm stance, President Tinubu maintained that diplomatic negotiations remained paramount.
He reiterated the organization’ s dedication to exploring all avenues of engagement, including dialogue with the coup leaders, to facilitate a swift return to constitutional governance in Niger.
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