The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Bola Tinubu, has deemed the current situation in the Niger Republic to be untenable.
President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu responded quickly to the detention of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum by members of the Presidential Guard who have been given a “ultimatum” by the army. “All players in the Republic of Niger, the leadership of the ECOWAS Region, and all lovers of democracy around the world will not tolerate any situation that incapacitates the democratically-elected government of the country,” Tinubu said.
Disgruntled guards blocked the President’s home and offices earlier on Wednesday, and when negotiations failed, they “refused to release the President.”
After winning a democratic election in 2021, Bazoum assumed control of one of Africa’s poorest and most coup-prone nations.
In a statement he personally signed in response to the alleged coup attempt, Tinubu said that the ECOWAS leadership would not tolerate any actions that would obstruct the effective exercise of lawful power in Niger or any other region in West Africa.
“I wish to say that we are closely monitoring the situation and developments in Niger and we will do everything within our powers to ensure democracy is firmly planted, nurtured, well rooted and thrives in our region.
“I am in close consultation with other leaders in our region, and we shall protect our hard-earned democracy in line with the universally acceptable principle of constitutionalism.
“As the Chairperson of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, I state without equivocation that Nigeria stands firmly with the elected government in Niger and equally conveys the absolute resolve of leaders in our sub-region that we shall not waiver or flinch on our stand to defend and preserve constitutional order,” Tinubu said.
About two weeks after Tinubu, the newly elected chair of the 15-member regional group, declared that military coups would not be permitted in West Africa, the development in the Niger Republic took place.
Five coups have taken place in three different West African countries since August 2020. While juntas successfully oversaw the overthrow of governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea, attempts were unsuccessful in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
Additionally, one of Nigeria’s neighbors, Chad, under Lieutenant General Mahamat Idriss Déby’s leadership, had an unlawful shift in administration after his father passed away in April 2021 from wounds incurred during hostilities with insurgents in the nation.