The Senate on Saturday advised President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to explore diplomatic and political options to address the Niger Republic coup.
In a resolution read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, after a two-hour closed-door session, the Senate also clarified that the President did not ask the Senate to approve that the country should go to war.
Niger Republic’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum was toppled last month by his guards.
On Sunday, President Tinubu met with some fellow ECOWAS leaders to discuss appropriate ways to restore democracy in Niger.
The leaders of the West African regional bloc discussed sanctions against the military junta.
In its resolutions on Saturday, the Senate, however, resolved: “Call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the chairman of ECOWAS to further encourage other leaders of ECOWAS to strengthen political and diplomatic options and other means with a view to resolving the political impasse in Niger Republic.
“The National Assembly to the ECOWAS under the leadership of President Tinubu in resolving the political situation in Niger and returning the country to democratic governance in the nearest future”.
It also said that “the leadership of the Senate is mandated to further engage with the President who is also the Commander-In-Chief on behalf of the Senate and the entire National Assembly how best to resolve the issue in view of the hitherto existing cordial relationship between Nigeriens and Nigerians”.
It also called on the ECOWAS parliament to “rise to the occasion by equally condemning this coup and also positing solutions to resolving this impasse as soon as possible”.
