President Bola Tinubu, the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government, has dispatched a high-level delegation to the country in an effort to swiftly resolve the current political impasse in the Niger Republic.
The action by the president is in line with the resolution reached during the extraordinary summit of ECOWAS held in Abuja last weekend.
According to a press statement signed by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communication, the delegation, led by former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd), departed for Niamey on Thursday after receiving a briefing from President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
Joining General Abubakar on the mission are the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray.
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President Tinubu also dispatched a separate delegation, led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, to engage with the leaders of Libya and Algeria on the Niger crisis, highlighting the importance of seeking a peaceful resolution that promotes African peace and development rather than aligning with the geopolitical positions of other nations.
During the briefing, President Tinubu charged both delegations to engage all stakeholders in Niger robustly, with the sole aim of achieving a conclusive and amicable resolution of the situation.
The President emphasised that their primary concern was democracy and regional peace.
“We don’t want to hold brief for anybody. Our concern is democracy and the peace of the region,” President Tinubu asserted.
Following the meeting, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) expressed the delegation’s intention to meet with the leaders of the recent coup in Niger, presenting the demands of the ECOWAS leadership in an effort to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Both leaders of the missions conveyed strong beliefs about the outcome of their assignments as they embarked on diplomatic efforts to foster dialogue and bring stability to Niger.
