President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday warned that the “unpleasant developments in Niger Republic” must not truncate the nation’s democracy.
Tinubu, who is the Chairperson of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, stated that the sub-regional body and its “leadership will not accept any action that impedes the smooth functioning of legitimate authority in Niger or any part of West Africa.”
Reports confirmed that access to the residence and offices of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum was blocked Wednesday morning by members of the elite Presidential Guard.
Niger Republic, a landlocked country, is one of the most unstable nations in the world, experiencing four coups since independence from France in 1960 as well as numerous other attempts at power.
Access was sealed off both to Bazoum’s official home and offices in the Presidential complex in Niamey, although there was no abnormal military deployment or sounds of gunfire in the area, and traffic was normal, an AFP journalist saw.
Bazoum, who was democratically elected in 2021, is a close ally of France.
The country’s last coup occurred in February 2010, overthrowing then-President Mamadou Tandja. However, there was an attempted putsch on March 31, 2021, just two days before Bazoum’s inauguration, according to a security source at the time.
President Tinubu said in the statement he personally signed that both Nigeria and ECOWAS will go to any length to “defend and preserve constitutional order.”
The full statement reads: “Information filtering in from the Republic of Niger indicates some unpleasant developments around the country’s highest political leadership.
“It should be quite clear to all players in the Republic of Niger that 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.
“The ECOWAS leadership will not accept any action that impedes the smooth functioning of legitimate authority in Niger or any part of 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.”