Ex- GOVERNOR Elrufai has warned President Bola Tinubu that if ECOWAS troops launch a military attack on Niger, it is a declaration of civil war against northern Nigeria…
Mr El-Rufai, who has been publicly silent on recent political developments in Niger and ECOWAS’ reactions, gave this warning in a tweet Tuesday morning.
“As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’, because a war within our subregion is a war between brothers,” Mr El-Rufai said.
He added that “indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria. Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.”
Mr El-Rufai’s warning comes after he fell out with Mr Tinubu over ministerial appointment, weeks after ECOWAS charged its troops to be on standby to restore constitutional order in Niger, following the ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum by members of his presidential guards in July.
On August 10, at the second extraordinary summit on the socio-political situation in the Republic of Niger held in Abuja, ECOWAS president, Omar Alieu Touray, gave a directive for the regional bloc’s forces to be on standby to attack the beleaguered country.
“We direct the committee of defence staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately,” Mr Touray said, adding that the action was to “restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.”
Mr Tinubu, the ECOWAS chair, at the summit pointed out that the ongoing political crisis in Niger Republic was a threat to the stability of Nigeria and other West African countries.
Niger coup: What I told Tinubu- Abdulsalami
Former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, on Tuesday visited President Bola Tinubu in Abuja to brief him on the outcome of his diplomatic shuttle to the Niger Republic.
Abubakar who went to the Niger Republic recently as an envoy of the Economic Community of West African States met the President in the company of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, among other officials.
Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting with Tinubu on Tuesday, Abdulsalami noted that the visit to Niger was a fruitful one and channels for diplomacy have been opened.
While giving further details of his discussions with the President, the elder statesman said, “As you are aware, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have made me an envoy to Niger Republic and we were there over the weekend to see the military people and discussed to find a way out of the lacuna we find ourselves. So, that’s why I’m here this afternoon, together with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, to give a report back to Mr. President on our discussions in Niger.
“I must say that our visit to Niger has been very fruitful and that it has opened an avenue to start talking and hopefully we’ll get somewhere.”
Reacting to the Niger junta’s announcement that power will be handed over to a democratically elected government in three years, Abubakar said, “Well, like I said, we’ve started talking, they have made their own points and then I made my report to the Chairman of the ECOWAS Heads of state and President. He will now consult with his colleagues and then the ding-dong starts and we’ll get somewhere hopefully.
“Hopefully, diplomacy will see the better of this. Nobody wants to go war, it doesn’t pay anybody, but then again, our in leaders have said if all fails and I don’t think all will fail, we’ll get somewhere we’ll get out of this mess.”
