Abati: I thought I could rattle Tinubu during media chat — but he knows what he’s doing

By Nathaniel Shaibu

The Coalition of Northern Groups has called on the Federal Government to lift the sanctions imposed against the Niger Republic following the recent military coup in the country.

This was contained in a statement released on Friday and signed by the spokesperson for the group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, who noted that rigid positions taken by both the leadership of the ECOWAS and the military junta in Niger had left little room for honest discussions on what he described as “ordinarily an African affair that can be solved the African way”.

According to him, the imposed sanctions were not in the best interest of peace, and also faulted the coup leaders’ “stubbornness” for rejecting overtures to peacefully resolve the crisis.

“The CNG notes especially the rigid positions assumed by both ECOWAS and the military leaders in Niger which left very little space for honest discussions towards a peaceful resolution of what is ordinarily an African affair that can be solved the African way.

“For one, the hasty closure of borders and trade routes by neighbouring countries, the cutting off of electricity supply by Nigeria, and the slapping of a regime of economic sanctions were not in the best interest of peace.

“On their part, the coup leaders in Niger have stubbornly foreclosed every window of opportunity for discussions by rejecting all overtures including the refusal to allow diplomatic emissaries from the United Nations, the African Union, and the ECOWAS to initiate negotiations”.

The CNG also rejected the preferences for military action against Niger by regional body and international community or institutions, while demanding that military authorities in Niger and the ECOWAS should “open and allow all doors for discussions devoid of any hidden agenda or unnecessary preconditions for genuine dialogue”.

Sulaiman condemned the burning of the Nigerian flag by some Nigeriens, while stating that discrediting Nigeria’s President and leaders was not only immoral and illegal, but also abhorrent to Nigeria’s collective sensibilities and therefore unacceptable.

They further warned against “unnecessary escalation”, of and the “unsolicited intervention” of the international community and other dubious foreign interests, noting that bilateral relationships were to be guided by the principles of sovereignty, promotion of peace, and the standards that guide legitimate interference.Punch)