According to The Vanguard newspaper, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s plea to send troops to the Niger Republic and overthrow the military junta has been declined by the Nigerian Senate.
On Friday, Tinubu wrote to the upper chamber of the National Assembly, seeking approval to invade Niger. However, following a 2-hour closed-door meeting, the Senate decided against the invasion and instead encouraged ECOWAS to enhance political, diplomatic, and other means to address the political situation in Niger.
The Senate requested Tinubu, who is also the current Chairman of ECOWAS, along with other regional leaders, to handle the crisis resolution with caution.
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During the reading of the Senate’s resolutions, Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified that President Tinubu’s letter did not request the Senate’s approval to go to war, contrary to some misconceptions that were raised.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio further clarified that the President’s letter sought the support of the National Assembly solely for the effective implementation of the ECOWAS resolutions outlined in his correspondence. It was not a request for approval to engage in military action.
The resolutions read in part:
“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 intending to resolve the political impasse in the Niger Republic.
“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.”
It is believed that the Senate’s resolutions have finally put paid to the proposed military intervention in Niger by ECOWAS.