Don’t go into war with Niger, Northern leaders warn Tinubu

Northern leaders unde the aegis of Arewa Consultative Forum on Friday warned President Bola Tinubu not to go into war with Republic of Niger.

Rather, the Northern elders asked president Tinubu to dialogue with the neighboring country.

The Authority of Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS, which Nigeria chairs had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military in Niger Republic to restore the ousted President.

In the following development, Tinubu also wrote the Senate to seek military intervention on the Niger military junta if they are recalcitrant in a bid to capture them and restore democracy in the ECOWAS country.

The statement reads in part, “ACF, however, views with concern the unfolding events in Nigeria’s immediate neighbour, the Republic of Niger, and the potential impact on the region.

“The measures being contemplated should have taken into consideration the historical antecedents and mutual interests of the two countries and weighed the consequences of the use of military force.

“While the ACF recognises the ECOWAS position to bring pressure to bear on the perpetrators, nevertheless the military option shouldn’t be a prerequisite for Nigeria’s and the Community’s continuing efforts to enthrone democracy in the region in the 21st century.”