Niger Coup: Tinubu Summons Fresh ECOWAS Meeting As Deadline Expires

President Bola Tinubu has summoned another emergency meeting of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), over the coup in Niger Republic.

This is as the deadline earlier set by the body for the military junta to return power to the deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum, elapsed on Sunday.

The sub-regional body had met in Abuja on August, where a 7-day deadline was issued for the Niger junta to reinstate ousted president, Bazoum or risk sanctions, including possible military intervention.

But, the junta severed ties with Nigeria and some other countries sympathetic to Bazoum’s cause, rather than reinstate the deposed Niger leader.

The military regime, which declared their Commander General, Abdourahamane Tchiani the new head of state, vowed not to bow to outside pressure.

It also warned against foreign intervention, vowing to defend the territorial integrity of Niger.

On Friday, military chiefs of some West African countries said they had agreed on a plan for possible military intervention in the event push for a diplomatic solution failed.

The chiefs of defence staff from Togo, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Cote D’ivoire, Cabo Verde and the Republic of Benin held the meeting in Abuja.

ECOWAS had last week sent a high-powered delegation to broker peace with the coupists but their representatives met with the team led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd).

On Monday, Tinubu, who is chairman of ECOWAS, sent a notice of meeting scheduled for Thursday in Abuja.

A statement issued by ECOWAS reads, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has convened another Extraordinary Summit of the Authority on the political situation in the Republic of Niger. The Summit will hold in Abuja, on Thursday, August 10, 2023.

“The ECOWAS Leaders will be considering and discussing the political situation and recent developments in Niger during the Summit.”