The Senate has asked the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, President Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the region to tread with caution in addressing the political quagmire in Niger Republic following the sack of the democratically elected administration of Mohamed Bazoum.
Rising from a closed-door session that lasted close to two hours to discuss the letter written to the Senate on Friday by President Bola Tinubu on the decisions taken by the regional body, the Senate yesterday asked ECOWAS and its leaders to strengthen political and diplomatic options and other means with a view to resolving the political compass in Niger Republic.
The Senate while condemning the Niger coup in totality, commended the chairman, President Tinubu and other Heads of State of the other States of ECOWAS for their prompt response and the positions taken on what it described as the unfortunate development in Niger Republic.
Reading the resolutions of the Senators after the meeting, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio said that “the Senate recognizes that President Tinubu via his correspondence has not asked for the approval of the parliament of this Senate to go to war as erroneously suggested in some quarters.
“Rather Mr President has expressed a wish to respectfully solicit the support of the National Ass in the successful implementation of the resolutions of the ECOWAS as outlined in the said communication.
“The Senate calls on the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the chairman of ECOWAS to further encourage other leaders of ECOWAS to strengthen political and diplomatic options and other means with a view to resolving the political compass in Niger Republic.
“The National Assembly to the ECOWAS under the leadership of President Tinubu in resolving the political situation in Niger and returning the country to democratic governance in the nearest future.
“The leadership of the Senate is mandated to further engage with the president and commander in chief with on behalf of the Senate and the entire National Assembly on how best to resolve the issue in view of the hitherto existing cordial relationship between Nigereans and Nigerians.
“Finally, the Senate calls on the ECOWAS parliament to rise to the occasion by equally condemning this coup and also positing solutions to resolving this compass as soon as possible.”
Recall that President Tinubu had on Friday written the Senate, intimating it on the proposed military action and other sanctions against the military officers who recently seized power in the Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
In the letter that was read on Friday on the floor of the Upper Chamber by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu had informed the Senate of the coup in Niger that sacked the democratically elected administration of Mohamed Bazoum and ECOWAS has against this backdrop written to inform the Senate of the decisions of the regional body.
President Tinubu in his letter titled, “Political situation in Niger, said that “in a bid to restore peace, ECOWAS convened a meeting and came out with a communique.”
According to him, the meeting was very specific on the “closure and monitoring of all land borders with Niger Republic and reactivating of the border drilling exercise.”
Other issues also raised at the meeting include the blockade of goods in transit to Niger especially from Lagos and eastern seaports, to also carry out sensitization of Nigerians and Nigerians on what he described as the imperative of the actions taken, particularly through social media, adding that there would be military build-up and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they remain recalcitrant.
The letter read, “Following the unfortunate political situation in Niger Republic culminating in the overthrow of its President, ECOWAS under my leadership condemned the coup in its entirety and resolved to seek the return of the democratically elected govt. in a bid to restore peace, ECOWAS convened a meeting and came out with a communique.
“Closure and monitoring of all land borders with the Niger Republic and reactivating of the border drilling exercise.
” Cutting off Electricity supply to the Niger Republic. Mobilizing international support for the implementation of the provisions of the ECOWAS communique
“Preventing the operation of commercial and special flights into and from Niger Republic.
“Blockade of goods in transit to Niger especially from Lagos and eastern seaports.
“Embarking on sensitization of Nigerians and Nigerians on the imperative of these actions, particularly via social media.
“Military build-up and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they remain recalcitrant.”
In a swift reaction after the President of the Senate read the communication from President Tinubu, former deputy Senate majority leader, Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central
raised a constitutional point of order to draw the attention of the Senate to the provisions of the Senate that show how the armed forces could be deployed on combat duty outside Nigeria.
According to Ningi, his point of order was aimed at guiding the Senate on the matter.
Ningi read section 5(5) of the Constitution which states that “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (4) of this section, the President, in consultation with the National Defence Council, may deploy members of the armed forces of the Federation on a limited combat duty outside Nigeria if he is satisfied that the national security is under imminent threat or danger provided that the President shall, within seven days of actual combat engagement, seek the consent of the Senate and the Senate shall thereafter give or refuse the said consent within 14 days.”
