Posted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed his displeasure with the coup attempt in Niger Republic.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) chairperson stated that the organization will not accept acts that undermine democracy in the region.
On Wednesday morning, there was a considerable military presence in the presidential palace in Niamey, Niger’s capital city.
Niger’s President, Mohamed Bazoum, is alleged to be being kept hostage by military and denied access to his office and apartment, indicating a possible coup.
According to Tinubu, the ECOWAS leadership will not allow any situation that renders Niger’s democratically elected government ineffective.
“The ECOWAS leadership will not accept any action that obstructs the smooth operation of legitimate authority in Niger or anywhere else in West Africa.”
“I would like to state unequivocally that we are closely monitoring the situation and developments in Niger, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that democracy is firmly planted, nurtured, well rooted, and thrives in our region,” Tinubu said in a brief statement.
Tinubu stated that he was in frequent contact with other regional leaders and committed to safeguard “our hard-earned democracy in accordance with the universally accepted principle of constitutionalism.”
“As chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, I state unequivocally that Nigeria stands firmly with Niger’s elected government and equally conveys the absolute resolve of leaders in our sub-region that we shall not waiver or flinch in our stand to defend and preserve constitutional order,” he added.
We believe that Niger is one of the world’s most unstable countries, having had four coups since its independence from France in 1960.
Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari had expressed dissatisfaction with Niger’s unstable governance structure following a foiled coup attempt in March 2021, just days before Bazoum was to be sworn in.