In order to peacefully restore the Niger Republic to its democratic government, the Katsina Elders Forum has urged ECOWAS and the AU to engage in negotiations with the military authorities there.
During a news conference on Monday in Katsina, an elder statesman who serves as the forum’s acting chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Saulawa, made the announcement through their secretary, Alhaji Ali Muhammad.
He emphasized that by making the gesture, the military junta would be able to implement its political transition plan and avoid the serious consequences of carrying out a military coup.
Regarding the purported threat to assassinate Muhammad Bazoum, the deposed president of the Niger Republic, Saulawa questioned the advantages of ECOWAS action if it resulted in war with Niger.
He claimed that the people of that nation as well as several states in Nigeria that share borders with Niger will bear the brunt of any military action taken by the ECOWAS.
“ECOWAS should be mindful of the repercussions, the aftermath of war, it’s not something that is very simple. So, the question of applying force does not arise, in fact, it should not come in.
“We are advising, like every other responsible citizen that spoke against the use of force, we are calling on President Bola Tinubu to see reason in this situation.
“Nigeria and Niger are the same; we have a lot in common,” Saulawa stated.
He further warned ECOWAS against holding out hope that the coup plotters would instantly renounce power after succeeding in seizing control of the nation.
“Do you think a military leader who had led a successful coup will relinquish power when the consequence is death?,” he asked.
Additionally, he criticized President Tinubu for unfairly failing to propose Alhaji Aminu Masari, the state’s most recent governor, as a minister in the upcoming cabinet.
