Diplomacy can resolve Niger’s political crisis- Abdulsalami Abubakar
Former Head Of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, says he sees diplomacy as the solution to the current political crisis in Niger.
He made the remark during an interview with State House Correspondents soon after he met with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Tuesday.
Abubakar who went to the Niger Republic recently as an envoy of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met the President in the company of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, among other officials.
Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting with Tinubu on Tuesday, Abdulsalami noted that the visit to Niger was a fruitful one and channels for diplomacy have been opened.
While giving further details of his discussions with the President, the elder statesman said, “As you are aware, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have made me an envoy to Niger Republic and we were there over the weekend to see the military people and discussed to find a way out of the lacuna we find ourselves. So, that’s why I’m here this afternoon, together with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, to give a report back to Mr. President on our discussions in Niger.
“I must say that our visit to Niger has been very fruitful and that it has opened an avenue to start talking and hopefully we’ll get somewhere.”
Reacting to the Niger junta’s announcement that power will be handed over to a democratically elected government in three years, Abubakar said, “Well, like I said, we’ve started talking, they have made their own points and then I made my report to the Chairman of the ECOWAS Heads of state and President. He will now consult with his colleagues and then the ding-dong starts and we’ll get somewhere hopefully.
“Hopefully, diplomacy will see the better of this. Nobody wants to go war, it doesn’t pay anybody, but then again, our in leaders have said if all fails and I don’t think all will fail, we’ll get somewhere we’ll get out of this mess.”
Recall that the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS had appointed the envoys, in the wake of a coup d’etat in the Republic of Niger, so as to mediate with the coup plotters as part of efforts to restore constitutional government in that country.
The three-man delegation consisted of former Nigerian Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III and the President of ECOWAS Commission, Omar Tourey.
