The Northern Senators’ Forum chaired by Senator Ahmad Ningi (Bauchi Central) has waded into the coup in Niger, calling on President Bola Tinubu to end the electricity, and other embargoes imposed by Nigeria on the West African country.
It also condemned “in very strong terms the military intervention in some African countries,” as it urged the junta “to bring a transition time table of at most two years,” to restore civilian rule.
The Forum in an address to the media after its meeting at the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday, stressed the need for the opening of airports in the country for business purposes, “not to suffer citizens because of the coup.”
Recall that in July 2023, the presidential guard in the country ousted the civilian president in a palace coup.
While regretting that the ban on the country is crippling the economic activities of states close to the Nigeria-Niger border, the Northern senators’ caucus said that Nigeria should respect the “Niger-Nigeria treaty mandate.”
This is as they called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to lift the political and economic sanctions imposed on it.
They said that as a matter of humanitarian gesture, stakeholders should end the crisis “as we remain brothers, Africans and human beings.
“We are the closest to Niger Republic. We have robust relationship, and shared bilateral interests.
“We are making the call from a human right perspective. Niger was there for Nigeria during the war, and we must not forget they were there for us.
“Our interest is the business we transact. Our interest is the lineage. Our interest is the brotherliness.”
The Forum nominated Senator Binos Yaroe (Adamawa South) as the new treasurer.
