Tinubu writes Senate over ECOWAS decision on Niger

Following the coup in Niger that sacked the democratically elected administration of Mohamed Bazoum, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday informed the Senate of the emergency meeting of ECOWAS that took place in Abuja.

The letter to this development was read by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary.

Specifically, Tinubu, in the letter, tagged “Political situation in Niger,” disclosed that “in a bid to restore peace, ECOWAS convened a meeting and came out with a communique.”

“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 government,” he stated.

Tinubu said in his letter that the meeting was very specific on “closure and monitoring of all land borders with Niger Republic and reactivating of the border drilling exercise.”

According to the communique, Tinubu also stressed the need for “cutting off electricity supply to 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.”

Other issues also raised at the meeting include “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; and military build up and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they remain recalcitrant”

But shortly after the letter was read, a former Deputy Senate Leader, Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi Central), raised a constitutional point of order to draw the attention of the Senate to the provisions of the constitution on how the Armed Forces could be deployed on a combat duty outside Nigeria.

He said 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.”