Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Senators from the northern part of Nigeria, yesterday, handed down a two-year ultimatum to leaders of the military junta in Niger Republic to return the nation to democratic rule in order to halt the worsening economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.
Their appeal was contained in a communique released after the Northern Senators Caucus Forum, read by the Chairman of the forum, Senator Abdul Ningi.
The forum, at the meeting attended by majority of the senators, also demanded the release of the oustead president, Mohammed Bazoun.
Demanding the immediate lifting of sanctions imposed on the country by the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States, it also asked the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Bola Tinubu, to ensure an immediate restoration of electricity supply to the North African country.
Part of the communique read: “The forum in strong terms condemned military interventions in democratic spaces in some West African subregion. The forum condemned in totality the coup de tat in Niger, Nigerian neighbouring country.
“We asked the military junta in Niger to heed the demand of other countries by freeing President Mohammed Bazoun and his immediate family to fully chose a country of his choice. The Northern Senators forum further asked the junta in Niger to bring about a transition timetable that will last not more than two years period.
“The Northern Senators forum asked ECOWAS to lift restrictions on Niger Republic in the interest of business at our border communities. It is important that Nigeriens should not suffer as a result of coup in their country just as we are seeing what is happening in Gaza.
“We asked the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and of course, the ECOWAS Chairman, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for as a matter of humanitarian gesture restore electricity in Niger Republic. We call on Niger and Nigeria that we remain brothers, we remain partners and we remain Africans,” they said.
