President Bola Tinubu, in an interaction with the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the State House, Abuja, urged the military regime in Niger Republic to restore democracy in nine months, saying that “nine months is enough for the Niger military junta to return the country to civilian rule after seizing power from President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26”.
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The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement cited Tinubu, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as saying: “if Nigeria could successfully return to democracy in 1999 through a nine-month programme by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, there is no reason such could not be replicated by Niger coup leaders.”
Ajuri Ngelale disclosed that President Tinubu insisted that the sanctions ECOWAS imposed on Niger Republic won’t be lifted without “positive adjustments” by the military junta.
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Tinubu further stated that the coup in Gabon last Wednesday confirmed his fears that other countries will copy what happened in Niger Republic.
The president had stated: “I must thank you for your several visits to Niger Republic, Your Eminence, but you will still have to go back.
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“My fear has been confirmed in Gabon that copy cats will start doing the same thing until it is stopped.
“We are neighbours with Niger Republic, and what has joined Nigerians together with their great people cannot be broken. “Nobody is interested in a war. We have seen the devastation in Ukraine and Sudan. “But, if we don’t wield the big stick, we will all suffer the consequences together.”
The military regime in Niger proposed a three-year transition to restore democracy in the country, but ECOWAS rejected the proposal, insisting on immediate surrender of power.