Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chairman of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS to diplomatically settle the crisis rocking the neighbouring Niger Republic.
The resolution of the upper legislative Chamber on Saturday followed a request from President Tinubu seeking approval for implementation of ECOWAS Resolutions.
The resolution was reached after a two hour closed door meeting on the crisis rocking Niger, a West African country which is also a member of ECOWAS.
Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio, however, clarified that President Tinubu never requested for approval for Nigeria to go to war with Niger Republic, stating that there was misrepresentation of the letter in the media.
According to him, President Tinubu requested for approval for the implementation of ECOWAS resolutions in his capacity as the Chairman of ECOWAS.
He said: “By the virtue of the correspondence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the commander-in-Chief, he has not o for the approval of the parliament or of Senate to go to war as erroneously suggested in some quarters, rather Mr President and Commander-In-Chief had expressed and I quote, in which to respectfully solicited support in the successful implementation of the ECOWAS resolutions in the said communications.”
“The leadership of the Senate is mandated to further engage with the President and Commander-In-Chief on behalf of the entire Senate to ensure how best to resolve the crisis.
“The Senate call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as 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 impasse in Niger Republic.”
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