Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said that Nigeria will continue to galvanise international partners in the determined pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the situation in the Niger Republic.
President Tinubu also said that Nigeria is actively observing the situation in Niger and is pursuing diplomatic avenues to prevent any form of violence.
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President Tinubu made these known on Friday when he received in audience the French Presidential Envoy at the State House, Abuja.
The ECOWAS leader also stated that he needs to guide ECOWAS carefully and steadily to protect the people of the country.
On the situation in the Niger Republic, President Tinubu said Nigeria is monitoring the situation in the neighbouring country and exploring diplomatic channels to avoid bloodshed.
“Leadership is about responding to the needs of the people, their cries, and their frustrations. Nigeria shares a border with Niger across the expanse of seven Nigerian states, and most of these states are very populated. Therefore, I need to guide ECOWAS carefully and steadily so that we manage our anger carefully.
The ECOWAS Chairman further expressed concern over President Bazoum, a democratically-elected leader, saying he could be placed in harm’s way as he is being used as a human shield.
President Tinubu cautioned that if the regional bloc does not exercise caution, President Bazoum and his family might face danger.
”We have a colleague and a democratically elected leader, President Bazoum, being used as a human shield. If we are not careful, he and his family can be endangered.
”I am deploying all appropriate back-channel strategies to avoid bloodshed in the Niger Republic. We recognise the wishes of our people; they do not want war, but that does not mean we cannot take bold and decisive action,” the president affirmed.
The French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs conveyed the goodwill of President Emmanuel Macron and expressed the readiness of France to expand mutually beneficial collaboration with Nigeria across multiple sectors.
She proceeded to extend a formal invitation to President Bola Tinubu to attend the forthcoming Paris Peace Forum.
Ms. Colonna also commended President Tinubu’s leadership in ECOWAS, saying, “We support your efforts at ECOWAS. We are behind you because we believe that constitutional order is a treasure for all countries, and democracy must be a reality.”
