Tinubu: Niger Junta Can Quit Within One Year

President Bola Tinubu yesterday said that it was very possible for Niger’s military rulers to restore democracy in their troubled nation within one year.

He said if Nigeria could achieve the feat within nine months in 1998 when Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar as head of state conducted a poll and successfully handed over to a civilian, the Niger junta led by Gen . Abdourahamane Tchiani should be able to do the same if sincere.

Tinubu, who chairs the Authority of Heads of State and Governments of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS restated yesterday that the sub-regional would continue to explore diplomatic options for the restoration of democracy in the d Sahel nation.

Stressing that coups remained “wholly unacceptable,” the President maintained that military intervention remained the last option for ECOWAS in resolving the Niger Conundrum.

The President stated this when he received the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) led by Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III at the State House, Abuja.

Tibubu, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale said: “I must thank you for your several visits to Niger Republic, Your Eminence, but you will still have to go back. My fear has been confirmed in Gabon that copycats will start doing the same thing until it is stopped.

“We are neighbours with Niger Republic, and what has joined Nigerians together with their great people cannot be broken.

“Nobody is interested in a war. We have seen the devastation in Ukraine and Sudan. But, if we don’t wield the big stick, we will all suffer the consequences together.”

The President consequently called on the Sultan of Sokoto and his team “to go back” and appeal to the Niger coupists to rethink and end the sufferings of their fellow citizens.

His words: “Your Eminence, please don’t get tired, you will still go back there. The soldiers’ action is unacceptable. The earlier they make positive adjustments, the quicker we will dial back the sanctions to alleviate the sufferings we are seeing in Niger,”