President Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting on Thursday in Abuja on the political situation in the Niger Republic.
The leaders are to decide on the next lines of action after a series of propositions made to the military junta in Niger to restore democratic governance in that member country.
Mr Tinubu, the ECOWAS chair, is hosting the leaders at the State House.
An outstanding decision earlier taken by the regional bloc’s leaders was a proposed military attack against the Niger coupists after a seven-day ultimatum to the junta that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.
Six days after the July 26 coup, the ECOWAS, at a meeting in Abuja, called for the immediate release and reinstatement of Mr Bazoum as the legitimate head of the Republic of Niger.
The leaders rejected any form of purported resignation by Mr Bazoum and declared him the only recognised and elected President by ECOWAS, the African Union and the international community.
‘‘In this regard, only official acts of President Bazoum or his duly-mandated officials will be recognised by ECOWAS,’’ they said.
The leaders strongly condemned the attempted overthrow of constitutional order in Niger and the illegal detention of Bazoum and members of his family and government.
They demanded the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger and considered the illegal detention of Mr Bazoum as a hostage situation, holding the coupists solely responsible for his safety and that of his family and government.
Presidents Patrice Talon of Benin Republic, Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, Adama Barrow of The Gambia, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Embalo of Guinea Bissau, Macky Sall of Senegal, Faure Gnassingbé of Togo attended the summit while the presidents of Cape Verde, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone were represented.
(NAN)
