The Senate has rejected President Bola Tnibu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Niger Republic, even as it asked the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other leaders of the region to tread lightly in addressing the political quagmire in the neighbouring country.
The Senate, rising from a closed-door session that lasted close to two hours to discuss Tinubu’s letter on Friday, asked ECOWAS to strengthen political and diplomatic options and other means to resolve the political compass in the Niger Republic.
The Senate, while condemning the Niger coup in totality, commended the chairman, President Bola Tinubu, and other Heads of State of the other States of ECOWAS for their prompt response and the positions taken on the unfortunate development in the Niger Republic.
Reading the resolutions of the senators after the meeting, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said that “the Senate recognises 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 Assembly 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 intended to resolve the political compass in the 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 on behalf of the Senate and the entire National Assembly on how best to resolve the issue given the hitherto existing cordial relationship between Nigeriens 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.”
