Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stated on Saturday that the chamber condemned the use of military action to restore Niger’s President Bazoum Mohamed following a military coup.
The Senate also urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the current leader of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc, to use diplomacy in dealing with the democratic government’s demise.
Last Sunday, the bloc granted coup leaders one week to reinstall Bazoum.
Akpabio stated that the leadership of the legislature agreed to meet with Tinubu to discuss the chamber’s resolutions.
Tinubu solicited the Senate’s cooperation in an official statement issued to the chamber on Friday to execute ECOWAS resolutions on the situation in Niger.
“The Senate recognises that, by virtue of his correspondence, President Tinubu has not sought the Senate’s approval to go to war, as has been incorrectly suggested in some quarters.”
“The Senate calls on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as Chairman of ECOWAS, to further encourage other ECOWAS leaders to strengthen the political and diplomatic options and other means with which to resolve the political impasse in Niger Republic,” according to a statement.