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By Madu Obi
The Labour Party presidential candidate in the February 25, 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi has cautioned against military intervention as a solution to the military coup in Nigeria's neighbouring Niger Republic, saying that diplomacy remains the best option.
In a statement on his Twitter page on Sunday, the former Anambra State governor observed that although the situation in Niger has received international attention, it has become an urgent national interest and security for Nigeria.
According to Obi, all the regional and global stakeholders should prioritize diplomatic dialogue towards resolving the Niger debacle with minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
He said: "Recent developments in the neighbouring Niger Republic have become the subject of international attention. For Nigeria, this development is a matter of dire and urgent national interest and security.
"Inevitably, Niger is a hot-button issue for ECOWAS, as well as various international interlocutors. Regardless of the positions taken by various parties that have direct or tangential interests in Niger, priority must be given to dialogue and diplomacy towards a resolution with minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
"Whereas ECOWAS authorities have indicated that they remain open to various conflict resolution options, diplomacy must remain the overarching imperative in resolving the present crisis.
"I join the many well-meaning Nigerians who have advocated that any intervention in the crisis, should be pre-eminently through diplomatic dialogue among all strategic interests in the crisis.
"It is therefore important that the people of Niger are allowed via their national institutions, the opportunity to revert quickly to a representative democratic government.
"All national, regional and international assistance should be extended to the people of Niger to return their country to normalcy."
"While ECOWAS must seek to discourage the spread of military dictatorships in West Africa, the recourse to armed deterrence must be restrained by multilateral diplomatic mechanisms."
"What the situation in Niger urgently calls for is a concerted multilateral coalition of Nigeria, ECOWAS, the AU and the UN towards a programmed return to a democratic constitutional order. In this process, Nigeria’s leadership role must not be in any doubt."
He commended the mediatory efforts of eminent Nigerians, including Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and the 14th Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, in the Niger crisis.
It will be recalled that a group of soldiers led by Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani ousted the country's democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, in a July 26, 2023, coup.
Since then, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, with Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu as chairman, have been brainstorming to find a solution to the problem.
Already, ECOWAS has activated its standby force for a possible invasion of Niger to stop the military junta.
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