Peter Obi. Photo: Twitter.
‘All national, regional and international assistance should be extended to the people of Niger to return their country to normalcy’
By Valentine Amanze
The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the February 25, 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has appealed to the leadership of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other world bodies to trade with caution and diplomacy in their bid to resolving the constitutional breach in Niger Republic.
He said that the solution to the crisis in Niger was a concerted multilateral coalition of Nigeria, ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) towards a programmed return to a democratic constitutional order.
“In this process, Nigeria’s leadership role must not be in any doubt,” Obi tweeted (@PeterObi) on August 12, 2023.”
The Anambra State former governor, however, lamented that the recent developments in the neighbouring Niger Republic had become the subject of international attention.
“For Nigeria, this development is a matter of dire and urgent national interest and security.
“Inevitably, Niger is a hot-button issue for ECOWAS, as well as various international interlocutors.
“Regardless of the positions taken by various parties that have direct or tangential interests in Niger, primacy must be given to dialogue and diplomacy towards a resolution with
minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub-region,” he said.
Also read: New Nigeria anchored on youth development is possible – Obi
He also advised that a total diplomatic resolution must take into consideration the realpolitik of the West African sub-region, while applauding the respective mediatory efforts by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar,
His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and His Royal Highness Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Besides, he advised that the people of Niger should be allowed via their national institutions, the opportunity to revert quickly to a representative democratic government. “All national, regional and international assistance should be extended to the people of Niger to return their country to normalcy. While ECOWAS must seek to discourage the spread of military dictatorships in West Africa, the recourse to armed deterrence must be retrained by multilateral diplomatic mechanisms,’’ he said.
valoa2000@yahoo.com
