Atiku Abubakar, former vice president of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, says the crisis in the Republic of Niger requires diplomatic engagements and the channels for dialogue should be well sustained.
Atiku’s call came on Thursday via his Twitter account.
He described the latest putsch as worrisome because the number of states that have witnessed military intervention in the last three years in the subregion is increasing.
The former vice president commended the efforts of ECOWAS so far concerning resolution to the matter.
He warned that Nigeria, in playing the leadership role bestowed upon it in the region should avoid force as a means of resolution so the problem is not aggravated.
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“As the ECOWAS continues to work towards reinstating democracy in the Republic of Niger, it must be reinforced that the regional body should not travel the road of military hostilities that may exacerbate the status quo,” Atiku said.
“The crisis in the Republic of Niger requires diplomatic engagements, and that must mean that the channels for dialogue should be well sustained.”
He called on the junta to yield so that the impasse is resolved swiftly as the whole world’s eyes are on them.
“While the world expects Nigeria to take a leading role in this process of peaceful conflict resolution, it must be clear to the military insurrectionists in the Republic of Niger that the world cannot afford to wait for too long before this crisis is resolved reasonably,” Atiku said.
“This is undoubtedly a challenging time for the West African region. However, any actions taken towards the prompt resolution of the crisis in the Republic of Niger must prioritise democracy as the ultimate victor.”
