An official of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adamu Garba, has accused the United States and France of setting a dangerous trap for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), pushing them towards a potential total war in the region. In a statement posted on his Twitter account, Garba warned that any military intervention in Niger could have dire consequences for Nigeria.
The supposed coup attempt in Niger, orchestrated by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, prompted ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government to issue a seven-day ultimatum for Tchiani to relinquish power to Mohammed Bazoom. An emergency meeting held in Abuja resulted in this resolution.
Garba, however, urged President Bola Tinubu to resist pressure from France and the U.S. to take military action against Niger. Instead, he called for a non-kinetic and diplomatic approach to resolving the situation. He expressed concerns that involving military forces might lead to further internal problems and jeopardize the hard-earned progress in establishing a democratic government in the region.
In Garba’s view, West Africa has failed to adequately protect democracy, and he stressed the importance of learning from past mistakes and preventing a scenario where the region’s interests are compromised by external powers, potentially causing more harm than good.
By Abdulkareem, Adeyemi
