President Bola Tinubu said on Thursday that the Niger military junta has nine months to return the country to civilian governance after seizing control from President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.
Tinubu made the remarks at the State House while receiving the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, which was led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.
According to the Nigerian leader, who is also the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), if Nigeria was able to successfully return to democracy in 1999 thanks to General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s nine-month programme, there was no reason why Niger coup leaders couldn’t do the same.
According to a statement by his spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, the ECOWAS chief said sanctions imposed on Niger Republic won’t be lifted without “positive adjustments” by the military junta.
Since the Niger coup, ECOWAS has imposed several sanctions on the country, threatening military intervention if dialogue failed in bringing back civilian rule.
The Niger junta has said it needed a three-year transition period to restore constitutional order in the country, a position ECOWAS rejected.
With the coup in Gabon on Wednesday, Tinubu said his fears that other countries will copy what happened in Niger was confirmed.
“I must thank you for your several visits to Niger Republic, Your Eminence, but you will still have to go back. My fear has been confirmed in Gabon that copy cats will start doing the same thing until it is stopped.
“We are neighbours with Niger Republic, and what has joined Nigerians together with their great people cannot be broken. Nobody is interested in a war. We have seen the devastation in Ukraine and Sudan. But, if we don’t wield the big stick, we will all suffer the consequences together,” the President warned.