Mr Peter Gregory Obi, The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the just concluded 2023 general elections, has beaconed on the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy in its effort to restore democracy in Niger Republic.
Since the toppling of the Mohamed Bazoum’s led government on July 26, ECOWAS has been scouting for ways to restoring political stability in Niger.
ECOWAS had on Thursday during its extraordinary summit on Niger, ordered the deployment of its standby force to restore democracy in the in the West African country.
Obi in a post on his Twitter handle on Sunday, said “diplomacy must remain the overarching imperative in resolving the present crisis” [in Niger].
The former Anambra State governor states that allowing the people of Niger to return to representative democratic governance is paramount.
While he indirectly applauds the effort of ECOWAS in trying to curb the crises in Niger and her effort to stop the spread of military takeover of power in other West African countries, Obi maintained that the recourse to armed deterrence must be retrained by multilateral diplomatic mechanisms.
The post reads, “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, primacy must be given to dialogue and diplomacy towards a resolution with minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
“A total diplomatic resolution must take into consideration the realpolitik of the West African sub-region.
“I applaud the respective mediatory efforts by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and His Royal Highness Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. 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 retrained 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.”
