Eddy Olafeso, erstwhile national vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked President Bola Tinubu to use diplomacy in addressing the coup d’etat in the Niger Republic. 

Mr Olafeso, in an interview in Akure, the Ondo State capital, said an attempt to forcefully break into the neighbouring nation is like inviting war into Nigeria. 

“A Nigerian president, who has a foreign relationship, will know for sure that a war against the Niger Republic is war against Nigeria,” said Mr Olafeso. 

He explained, “One thousand two hundred kilometres of our boundaries across seven states of the North; from Sokoto, Zamfara, Yobe, Maiduguri, and Borno are all with the Niger people, so, we must, as a matter of fact, make sure that we utilise diplomacy in dealing with this.”

Mr Olafeso’s advice came after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) placed sanctions, including the suspension of all financial aid and a ban on commercial flights to and from the neighbouring country, following the seizure of power by the military junta.  

On July 26, the military led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum’s democratic government and subsequently detained his guards. 

In reaction to the sanctions, Mr Tchiani said they were aimed at putting pressure on the rebels and not finding a solution to the current situation at hand. 

Faulting the measures by ECOWAS, Mr Olafeso emphasised that the relationship between Nigeria and the Niger Republic was beyond the presidency. 

He explained that Nigeria and Niger Republic share a “very historical relationship” that must be recognised before any decision is taken, noting that about 55 per cent of the Nigeriens were Kanuris, Hausas and Fulanis.

According to him, the Nigerian leader continued to prove that he had overbearing on other African nations when the country was extremely deep in abject poverty with the unstable policies of foreign exchange. 

“Then, how can you be strong abroad when your foreign policies have left your country in extreme poverty? It is dangerous for APC to even contemplate going abroad to come and sort out things when Nigeria is yet to be sorted out. This is not the right time for war; it is the right time for diplomacy and the right time to listen to the people of Niger Republic so that we don’t make mistakes,” he added. 

While stressing that the people of Niger Republic know their history far better than any nation, Mr Olafeso advised the Nigeria leaders to be more careful of who to support in the ongoing coup in Niger. 

He said Nigeria was in dire need at present, adding that the country does not have the resources to spend on protecting itself against any external aggression.  

“These are some of the things we have to be careful about. Our country is in dire need; we do not have resources that we are going to spend anywhere to defend something indefensible. The Nigerian people will sort themselves out.” 

He added, “The history of the people is not the history of their rulers; if their rulers are supporting the colonialists, especially France, in taking away what belongs to the Niger Republic to France and people are kicking against it, we must be careful of who we support, are we fighting EU and France or the West, or are we fighting for the Nigerians in the Niger Republic.”