President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has stated that he will not bow to pressure concerning the coup in neighbouring Niger Republic.
Tinubu, chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), says the regional body is willing to take decisive measures, including military intervention if necessary, to restore constitutional order in the Niger Republic.
In a recent interview, the spokesman for Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale, addressed concerns on how ECOWAS now has a credibility problem following the apparent lapse of its 48-hour ultimatum to the leaders of the recent coup in Niger.
Ngelale refuted the notion of inaction by the ECOWAS leaders led by his boss, asserting that the West Africa bloc is taking significant steps to address the situation.
He clarified that ECOWAS had issued a firm ultimatum backed by longstanding protocols and that the member states were united in their determination to uphold the protocols and restore democratic governance in Niger.
His words:
“So, let us be clear (that) there has been a firm ultimatum that was based on a mandate that has been backed by ECOWAS protocols which have been in place for years, and the ECOWAS member heads of state will not back down from their duty of upholding the protocols as agreed by all member states.
“We want to emphasize very clearly to the international community tonight that we stand unified in solidarity and in our determination not to hold brief for any other nation, not to adopt the position of any of any geopolitical position of any other country or group of countries but to stand for Africa on an African position that we are determined to ensure that civilian democratic governance is sustained on the continent for the prosperity, security and development of the countries on our beloved continent.”
Meanwhile, Ngelale confirmed Tinubu’s attendance but declined to speak on the likely outcome of the meeting, saying that would amount to “speculative conjecture” on the following line of action.
