El-Rufai to Tinubu: Invading Niger Republic is declaring war against northern Nigeria

 

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja with agency reports

 

Ex- GOVERNOR Elrufai has warned President Bola Tinubu that if ECOWAS troops launch a military attack on Niger, it is a declaration of civil war against northern Nigeria…

 

Mr El-Rufai, who has been publicly silent on recent political developments in Niger and ECOWAS’ reactions, gave this warning in a tweet Tuesday morning.

 

“As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’, because a war within our subregion is a war between brothers,” Mr El-Rufai said.

 

He added that “indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria. Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.”

 

Mr El-Rufai’s warning comes after he fell out with Mr Tinubu over ministerial appointment, weeks after ECOWAS charged its troops to be on standby to restore constitutional order in Niger, following the ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum by members of his presidential guards in July.

 

On August 10, at the second extraordinary summit on the socio-political situation in the Republic of Niger held in Abuja, ECOWAS president, Omar Alieu Touray, gave a directive for the regional bloc’s forces to be on standby to attack the beleaguered country.

 

“We direct the committee of defence staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately,” Mr Touray said, adding that the action was to “restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.”

 

Mr Tinubu, the ECOWAS chair, at the summit pointed out that the ongoing political crisis in Niger Republic was a threat to the stability of Nigeria and other West African countries.

 

Niger coup: What I told Tinubu- Abdulsalami

 

Former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, on Tuesday visited President Bola Tinubu in Abuja to brief him on the outcome of his diplomatic shuttle to the Niger Republic.

 

Abubakar who went to the Niger Republic recently as an envoy of the Economic Community of West African States 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.”

.As AU suspends Niger until restoration of constitutional order

 

Meanwhile, the African Union, AU, Commission has, on Tuesday, suspended Niger from the pan-African bloc until normal constitutional order is restored in the country following the latest military coup.

 

The decision to suspend Niger from AU membership was made by the Peace and Security Council of the AU Commission during its latest meeting that dwelt upon the situation in the western African country, AU said in a statement.

 

The council decided “to immediately suspend the participation of Niger from all activities of the AU and its organs and institutions until the effective restoration of constitutional order in the country.”

 

It reiterated its “unequivocal condemnation” of the military coup that took place on July 26 in Niger, which resulted in the ousting of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum by a faction of military officers.

 

The council reaffirmed its full solidarity with the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, in its continued commitment to the restoration of constitutional order through diplomatic means.

 

“The council strongly rejected any external interference by any actor or any country outside the continent in the peace and security affairs in Africa.

 

“It also rejects engagements by private military companies in the continent in line with the 1977 OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa,” the statement reads.

 

The Organisation of African Unity, OAU, was the predecessor of the AU.

 

It urged the military to place the supreme interests of Niger and its people above all else and to immediately and unconditionally return to the barracks, and submit to civilian authorities consistent with the constitution of Niger.

 

The council also reiterated its deep concern over the resurgence of military coups as it undermines democracy, peace, security and stability, as well as development in the continent, AU further stated.

 

.Nobody wants to go to war, says Abdulsalami, briefs Tinubu on crisis

Also, Former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, on Tuesday visited President Bola Tinubu in Abuja to brief him on the outcome of his diplomatic shuttle to the Niger Republic.

He said nobody wants to go war over the current stalemate in that country as it doesn’t pay anybody.

 

Recall that Abdulsalami had visited Niger Republic recently as an envoy of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.

 

He met the President in the company of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, among other officials.

But speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting with Tinubu on Tuesday, Abdulsalami said that the visit to Niger was a fruitful one and channels for diplomacy have been opened.

 

According to him, “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.”

.JAF condemns planned war, economic sanctions!

The Joint Action Front (JAF) has condemned the plan of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to launch military intervention in Niger Republic and also the economic sanctions including power cut and border closures.

 

JAF said the action by the community was taken on the country without care, calling on trade unions, working people and youth in Nigeria and West Africa to reject the planned war and economic sanctions with a series of mass actions.

 

The front,  in a statement signed by Dipo Fashina, JAF Chairperson and Comrade Abiodun Aremu, the Secretary, urged the working masses and youth to demand, instead of wasting Nigeria’s resources on war against Niger, the Tinubu government to restore subsidy and reverse the petrol price to the old rate of N195 per liter.

 

It also demanded the adequate funding of public education and reversal of the current hike in school fees.

 

According to the statement: “We also demand the payment of decent minimum wage that matches the rate of inflation.

 

“While we unequivocally condemn the opportunistic coup in Niger which has nothing to do with the genuine interests of ordinary Nigeriens, we strongly hold that it is the responsibility of the people of Niger to determine their own government, not an external force.

 

“Therefore, we support any pro-democracy movement in Niger that calls and fights for the rights of the masses of Niger to democratically choose their leaders.

 

“We strongly hold that it is sheer hypocrisy and an insult from the West African leaders who emerged through fraudulent electoral process or the manipulation of constitution as it is the case with most leaders of ECOWAS to talk about restoring a so-called democratic government in a foreign country.

 

“The -imposition of the economic sanctions is evidence that Tinubu and ECOWAS leaders do not care about the ordinary people of Niger who are the worst hit. Indeed, as it is already an open secret, we strongly believe the planned military intervention is a proxy war to be launched on behalf of the French and US imperialism who are @desperate to continue the control and the pillage of the resources of Niger.

 

“We therefore support the growing mass protest and rejection of French imperialism in Niger and other West African countries. But we would like to warn against replacing one imperialist master with another one as the warm embrace of Putin led Russia by a section of Nigerien people indicate.

 

“Rather , we call on the working movement and youth of Niger to build an independent mass movement that fights for a working people government, &the nationalization of the resources of the country under the democratic control of the people themselves so that the resources can be used for the benefit of the vast majority, not a few and call for the solidarity of working class internationally including in France, US, Russia, etc.

 

“We also call on the people of Niger not to have any illusion in the General Tchiani led junta which is made up of elements of the old corrupt order and will not rule on behalf of ordinary Nigeriens. As their experience under the deposed Western puppet, Bazoum, shows, only the readiness of the Nigerien workers and poor masses to struggle can guarantee their class interests.

 

“We therefore stand in solidarity with the Nigerien trade unions, working class, the poor masses and radical youth in their struggle against imperialism, for democratic rights and for a Niger that works for all instead of a few”.