The Extraordinary meeting of the Authority of Heads of States and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is set to take off amidst tight security in Abuja.
The meeting which is holding at the Conference hall of at the State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja is expected to take far reaching resolutions on the Niger Republic political impasse.
Amidst high expectations and strong opposition to military intervention in the landlocked country, many analysts have urged ECOWAS leaders to come up with political solutions rather than the option of force.
The meeting which is being chaired by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, is currently being attended by Presidents Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, Umaro Sissoco of Guinea Bissau, Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire and Nana Akofo-Ado of Ghana
Others are Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal and Patrice Talon of Benin Republic
The President of Burundi, Everiste Ndayishimiye and Mohamed Ghazouani of Mauritinia are also attending the meeting.
Read also: Niger: Group drags ECOWAS to court over proposed military intervention
As at the time of this report the Togolese President, Faure Essozimna Eyadéma and President Adama Barrow of The Gambia, were still being expected at the meeting.
The ECOWAS is made up of 15 members States, including ; Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote D’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo
It is not also immediately clear, if Mali and Burkina Faso who had earlier announced that they were backing Niger’s new military government, against the ECOWAS decisions to impose sanctions on that country will be attending the meeting.
More later.
