By Ayo Yusuf
President Bola Tinubu continues to seek the best solution to the Niger imbroglio as he meets with stakeholders at the State House, Abuja today.
The meeting is reportedly looking at all the options available to the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, as it reconsiders the plan to send a multinational force to dislodge the junta in Niger Republic.
Mr. Tinubu who is the chairman of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS is meeting with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray; leader of the ECOWAS delegation to Niger Republic’s military junta, former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), and the National Security Adviser to the President, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
However, a former governor of Kaduna State, Mal. Nasir El-Rufai, has urged ECOWAS to drop any plan to go to war with Niger since it would essentially be a battle between brothers.
Mr. El-Rufai who gave the suggestion in his former Twitter account now X, said any war with Niger would have dire consequences for the people of northern Nigeria especially.
The former governor compared ECOWAS’s impending military intervention in Niger to a civil war between brothers. “I remember the Dire Straits rock classic from the 1970s,” he said, alluding to the British rock band.
He wrote: “TUESDAY THOUGHT: As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’ because a war within our sub region is a war between brothers.
“Indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria. Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.
“And so for this bright Tuesday, please enjoy this classic and reflect on the equally timeless lyrics. Music is something to enjoy, but being so overwhelmed with public affairs in the last 10 years, I have lost valuable pleasurable moments. Time to catch up on lost time. Enjoy!! Life is too short not to!! – #elrufai
Recall that on Friday, August 18, 2023, the ECOWAS military chiefs met in Accra, Ghana, to examine the prospect of military intervention in Niger following the failure of diplomatic talks.
