The Labor Party’s presidential candidate in the February 25, 2023 election, Peter Obi, urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to give greater importance to diplomatic resolution than any other crisis resolution option available.
He stated this when responding to the furious standoff between ECOWAS and the Republic of Niger during the July 26, 2023, military coup in that neighboring country.
In a series of tweets from his official hand yesterday, Obi said: “Recent developments in the neighboring Republic of Niger have become the subject of international attention and Nigeria is a matter of great and urgent national interest and security.”Inevitably, Niger is a hot-button issue for ECOWAS, as well as for various international interlocutors.”
But regardless of the positions of various parties with direct or indirect interests in Niger, Obi advised that “dialogue and diplomacy should be given priority to reach a solution with minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub-region, and be taken into account taking into account the realpolitik of the West African sub-region.”
He praised the respective mediation efforts of the former head of state, General Abudusalami Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, and the 14th Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. “While the ECOWAS authorities have indicated that they remain open to various conflict resolution options, it is imperative that diplomacy remains the overarching necessity in resolving the current crisis.
“I would like to join the many well-meaning Nigerians who have advocated that any intervention in the crisis should ideally be through diplomatic dialogue between all strategic interests in the crisis.” The former governor of Anambra state said: “It is imperative that the people of Niger, through their national institutions, be given the opportunity to quickly return to a representative democratic government. And that all national, regional, and international assistance should be provided to the people of Niger to return their country to normal.
According to Obi, “While ECOWAS should try to discourage the proliferation of military dictatorships in West Africa, the use of armed deterrence should be limited by multilateral diplomatic mechanisms.
“What the situation in Niger urgently requires is a joint multilateral coalition of Nigeria, ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN for a programmed return to a democratic constitutional order. There should be no doubt about Nigeria’s leading role in this process.”