Niger Republic: Why Tinubu Must Adopt Dialogue And Not War – Sen Shehu Sani
…Says, Nigeria must not support invasion of Niger
Senator of the 8th Senate of the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, on Monday counselled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government to thread carefully over the development in Republic of Niger.
Sani said that the best option for the Tinubu-led sub-regional body was to toe the path of dialogue as against war thus, warned Nigerians not to support any armed invasion of Niger Republic.
The outspoken politician, also gave 13 cogent reasons on his Twitter handle why Nigeria should not support any invasion of Niger Republic and therefore called on President Tinubu not to by any mistake, allow himself to be pushed to initiate and or trigger a war with a neighbouring country particularly Niger Republic.
Sani specifically said that no country in the ECOWAS sub-region has the military capability to start or sustain a war with Niger Republic at this point in time.
The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at their extraordinary Summit in Abuja on Sunday, July 30, 2023, issued a seven-day ultimatum to General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the leader of the military that ceased power from President Mohammed Bazoum to release and reinstated Bazoum as the legitimate president.
The resolve of the ECOWAS leaders was part of their resolutions reached at the Abuja extraordinary Summit.
Sani twitted; “Thirteen reasons why Nigerians must not support any armed invasion of Niger Republic.
- ECOWAS armed invasion of Niger Republic is simply a war between Nigeria and Niger because of our proximity.
- Russia and Wagner May come in support of Niger Republic and Nigeria will have to use its own money to prosecute the operation; Nigeria offsets 70 per cent of the budget of ECOWAS. I don’t see the US Congress approving unlimited arm supplies for ECOWAS to wage war against another country.
- Our bordering states of Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa and Yobe will incur direct hit in the event of war.
- If there was no military action to dislodge the military coupists in Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad, why that of Niger Republic?
- Why did the American and French military bases inside Niger Republic refused to stop the coup and now they are encouraging us to go to war?
- Niger has been helpful to Nigeria in the fight against terrorists groups, and the country is currently hosting over 303 thousand Nigerian refugees; in the event of war, this can be in danger.
- President Tinubu should not allow himself to be pushed to initiate and trigger a war with a neighbouring country and later be left stranded. No West African country has any military capability to start or sustain a war with Niger Republic; everyone will be relying on Nigeria.
- We should not cry more than the bereaved; if the people of Niger Republic don’t want military rule, let them fight to remove it themselves. We fought our own military rulers, and some of us even went to jail in that struggle. Let them fight their fight.
- Saudi Arabia is still bugged down in Yemen after spending hundreds of billions of dollars which we don’t have.
- The Military Regime in Myanmar is still there and not one stronger nation is contemplating military action.
- We have a war at home against terrorism let’s concentrate here.
- Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinean forces will likely enter the war to support the Niger Republic, and they will attack Nigerian territories.
- President Tinubu must continue to toe the line of dialogue with the military authorities in Niger and not War,” he insisted.
