Shehu Sani, former Kaduna Central Senator, has reacted to the coup in the Republic of Niger and stated the reasons for the uprising in West African (ECOWAS) regions and the dangers of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) military intervention.
Sani said ECOWAS using Military force to dislodge a Military Government in a country larger than Nigeria is not going to be a Tea party. If troops are sent to remove the military junta in the Niger Republic and Forces from the Military Governments of Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso move in to support the Military Junta, what will happen?
Chronicle NG reports that Sani said ECOWAS should be careful not to be pushed and left alone in the Sahara Desert.
The West’s interest is Ukraine, not the Niger Republic, he said.
Shehu Sani noted that he thinks there are five factors that are responsible for the collapse of democratic governments in West Africa and are now giving rise to military coups.
1. Strangulation of democracy by the political class and shrinking civil space.
2. Economic challenges that lead to widespread poverty and hunger.
3. Security challenges: the spread of terror groups and over reliance on the military.
4. Expanding the presence of Russian and Chinese influence in the economic, security, and political spheres.
5. Failure of sanctions to have any meaningful impact on coupists.
Sani also said that there are an estimated 303,000 countrymen refugees being hosted in the Niger Republic. These are people who were chased out by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Bandits from Northern Nigeria. While sanctions are imposed on the Niamey Republic, the Nigerian Government must be well prepared to receive these refugees back in case the Military Junta decides to expel them.
