President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been advised not to go to war with the neighbouring Niger Republic as it is counterproductive and dangerous for Nigeria as a country.
The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS which the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu is the current chairman had resolved to go to war in Niger to force the military junta that deposed the democratically elected President of that country, Mohamed Bazuom on 26th July 2023. Bazuom was democratically elected in 2021.
However, ECOWAS had issued an ultimatum to the junta to restore Bahoum on or before Sunday, August 7, 2023, or it will use military force on him.
Nigerians have been reacting as the Nigerian Senate is opposed to President Tinubu leading ECOWAS to war against Niger.
Accordingly, the senator representing Abia North at the National Assembly, Orji Uzor Kalu has advised Tinubu not to go to war with Niger, stating that it is dangerous to fight in one’s backyard.
In a statement, the senator said, “I believe that President Tinubu is only the Chairman of ECOWAS. I saw a press conference where the Chairman of ECOWAS declared that ECOWAS service chiefs should go to war.
ECOWAS is not Nigeria and I still have my reservation that Nigeria should not join ECOWAS to go to war. This is because, if the Americans want to go to war, they should use their troops”.
Kalu noted that America has troops of over 3000 in Niger, hence no need to tell ECOWAS, “We will give you money, we will give you arms, just go and fight”, warning “It is dangerous to go and fight in our backyard. You don’t know where this fight will end. Nobody knows who is sponsoring this fight”.
“I think that the advisers of President Tinubu, which I am also one of them, should continue pleading with him not to join in that fight since the Nigerian senate has already said no, you can’t go to war and he needs the authorization of the senate to go to war.
“So, I don’t think it is a good idea to go to that war”, the senator said, advising that what ECOWAS should do is to go to the junta to ask him to put up a democratic process plan.
“The junta should give us a plan, six months, one year or two years plan to return to civil democratic process. If the junta said that the President of Niger, Bahoum has already resigned, let us take it like that. These things happen once in a while and I don’t think that any Nigerian soldier’s head is good enough to be laid down for another country.
“It is not our war, it is Niger’s internal affairs, it is the internal problem of Niger people. I hope that my President, my friend and my brother will understand that this is not our war. We have nothing to fight those people for”.
The senator advised Tinubu not to listen to the US, stating, “This is the first time I will like President Tinubu to disobey the US. Going to war with Niger is not the right thing to do. We are not going to go to war, but let the US, Nigeria and France have a transition program for the Nigeriens.
“They are Niger people and not outsiders, so let these three countries and the Nigeriens plan for a transition through peace, diplomacy and agreement. They should reach a concrete agreement with the junta to return to civil rule and should not be thinking of going to war with Niger.
“First, they are our black brothers and secondly, it is very dangerous as you don’t know who will join the war. They might invade Nigeria as we already have a lot of problems. Nobody should attempt to lead Nigeria into war. We cannot go to war with Niger at all. It is not the right thing to do”.
Kalu urged Tinubu to pull out of this ECOWAS war adding, “If it means pulling out of ECOWAS, Nigeria should pull out, if going to war is ECOWAS decision. We are a sovereign nation. Nobody can toy with 250 million Nigerians. It is not possible. So, I plead with President Tinubu not to join the war.
He is the chairman of ECOWAS, yes, but he also has a role to play to say, “I am not going to go to war” with Niger.
“The United States and France want Nigeria to go to war. Why don’t they pull their soldiers and go to war and we will give them the money to fight? Let them go to the war on their own. Nigeria cannot go to war with Niger. This war is in our backyard and I plead with the President to listen to the voice of reason.
The senate has said no and I am joining the senate and still join the majority of Nigerians to tell President Tinubu not to go to war with Niger for the sake of brotherhood and for the sake of Africa”.
The junta has been involved in peacekeeping missions in war-hit countries as the commander of Niger’s Presidential Guard is Abdourahmane Tchiani.
He had on the 26th of July, 2023 declared himself the head of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland which he set up after the coup.
Tchiani, 62 years, has garnered support from Nigeriens who now took a pro-Russian and anti-France stance and has left other juntas to rally public support for the coup.
( Source: TRIBUNE)
