Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Tinubu, will host a special meeting of the regional leaders on Sunday in Abuja.

This followed the coup in the Republic of Niger that upended the constitutional political leadership in the West African country.

Mr Tinubu, in a statement he signed, condemned the current political situation in the neighbouring country.

He promised that ECOWAS and the international community would do everything to defend democracy and ensure democratic governance continues to take firm root in the sub-region.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in separate telephone calls on Thursday with Mr Tinubu, affirmed their support for the position taken by ECOWAS and the Nigerian leader to restore constitutional order in Niger.

Soldiers from Niger’s presidential guard deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and closed the country’s borders while entrances to government ministries were also blocked.

This is Niger’s fifth coup and marks the fall of one of the last democratically elected governments in the Sahel.

(NAN)