Today's Headlines:Don’t wage war with Niger, Northern leaders warn Tinubu;Olowu denies rift with OBJ

GLatestAugust 4, 2023

3 minutes read

Don’t wage war with Niger, Northern leaders warn Tinubu

Photo Credit: Punch papers

The Northern leadership under the aegis of Arewa Consultative Forum, has warned President Bola Tinubu to avoid going into war with Niger military junta.

The group gave the admonition while calling for a dialogue to resolve the issue in a statement issued by its General Secretary, Murtala Aliyu, on Friday.

According to ACF, military deployment and intervention to phase out the coup plotters in the Niger Republic will not guarantee peace and stability in the ECOWAS sub-region.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that ECOWAS directed the closure of land and air borders between member states against the Niger Republic over a military coup d’état that removed democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, from office.

The Authority of Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS, which Nigeria chairs also issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military in Niger Republic to restore the ousted President.

In the following development, Tinubu also wrote the Senate to seek military intervention on the Niger military junta if they are recalcitrant in a bid to capture them and restore democracy in the ECOWAS country.

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Olowu denies rift with Obasanjo, says all is well

Photo credit: Guardian Nigeria

The Olowu of Owu Kingdom in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oba Saka Matemilola, has debunked reports of any rift between him and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying all is well between them.

Obasanjo, who is the Balogun (Chief Warrior) of Owu Kingdom, has been absent from events organised by the kingdom, fuelling rumours that the former President may not be happy with the emergence of Oba Matemilola as the 14th Olowu.

It would be recalled that Obasanjo, who was part of the kingmakers that selected Oba Matemilola, was also absent at the coronation ceremony of the monarch in 2022.

The former President was said to have travelled out of the country during the coronation. Oba Matemilola, while denying any rift between him and the former President, said he (Obasanjo) was highly instrumental to his success on the throne in the last one year.

The monarch spoke, yesterday, during a media briefing to herald activities marking his first coronation anniversary in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Matemilola, a professor of Applied Mathematics, said although Obasanjo might not be present at all his events due to his busy schedules, his success story could not be told without mentioning the former President.

He said: “Balogun (Obasanjo) has been absent at some of our events. I am sure this has not gone unnoticed. Balogun has been very instrumental to everything I have been doing.

“For those who may have been monitoring his (Obasanjo) activities, you will realise that he is always on important international missions. During my coronation last year, he actually championed the whole of the planning and the delivery of that event, but he had to be somewhere in the Horn of Africa during that period to help address a major crisis that was going on at the time.”

Coup leaders revoke five major military deals with France

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Coup leaders in the Republic of Niger, on Thursday, revoked a raft of military cooperation agreements with France.

The country further suspended broadcasts of French state-funded international news outlets France 24 and RFI earlier on Thursday – drawing condemnation from the French foreign ministry.

A decision about the revocation of five military deals with France dating between 1977 and 2020 was read out on national television late on Thursday by junta representative, Amadou Abdramane, Reuters reports.

Abdramane added that a diplomatic notice will be sent to France to that effect. There was no immediate response from France.

Some locals have accused the former colonial ruler of interfering in their affairs.

The PUNCH had reported on Sunday that the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, Bola Tinubu, had met with some fellow ECOWAS leaders to discuss appropriate ways to restore democracy in Niger.

The leaders of the West African regional bloc met to discuss sanctions to be placed against the military personnel who toppled President-elect Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, 2023.

ECOWAS has said it could authourise the use of force if soldiers did not restore Bazoum to power by Sunday.

The Nigerian government cut the power supply to the West African neighbour on Wednesday.